When their paths crossed
by Jlocked
Summary: John and Sherlock have found the perfect balance between their work and relationship. A bizarre and macabre case is almost solved when a charismatic man in an old military coat and a pretty young man in a suit turn up and declare that they are taking over. ((This is my second (but definitely not last) collaboration with the magnificent The Lady Of Purpletown.))
1. Chapter 1

((This can be read as a sequel to _What have we become_, but can also stand on its own. We hope you enjoy it.))

Chapter 1

Sherlock walked the perimeter of the crime scene, searching for any kind of clues that the local law-enforcement had not yet trampled into the dirt or in any other way ruined through incompetence or sheer stupidity. When he was satisfied that there was nothing more to learn, he strode over to John, who was kneeling by the body. "Okay," he said. "What have we got?"

John frowned. Since he had met Sherlock, he had seen many a strange crime scene, but nothing ever matched this. There was a body, yes. So far so good. What was missing, was its head.

The body was found near a narrow path of trampled dirt in the woods, very close to where they gave out on the university campus. There was no blood, not even a wound. The young woman's head had just been cleanly amputated. Apart from that, she would have been perfectly healthy.

"Right, yes," John said, shaking himself so he didn't keep staring at the place where her head had been. "Uhm, female, early twenties. Possibly a student here. Someone made the effort of cutting or chopping her head off, rather forcefully if you look at how little the skin is frayed and how smooth the skin could be stretched over her neck. Yet they made sure that there was enough skin left on one side to do this. It's exactly like an amputation. Jesus. They stitched the wound professionally. Okay, and then they cleaned up all the blood, even though there must have been a lot and I don't get how they got the earth clean. There are no signs of digging the top layer off or anything, so it's practically impossible. Even the leaves don't seem to show a trace of it. So probably they moved the body after the… decapitation. And then they left her here." He took a deep breath and looked up at Sherlock.

Sherlock glanced at the body and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he said. Then he turned and circled the body, studying the ground. "Yes, it was definitely moved here after the amputation." He looked around and spotted the roof of one of the old university buildings through the trees. "From over there..." He looked down at John. "Are you done here?"

John nodded. "Absolutely. It's the most unnerving corpse I've ever seen."

"Good. Then let them at it." Sherlock indicated the waiting forensics team. "And let's go have a look at the facilities." He strode off towards campus.

John followed. "Any ideas?"

Sherlock nodded. "Too many."

"I actually have no idea at all who would do something like that, and why," John admitted.

"Someone with the skills and knowledge to perform that kind of surgery, obviously."

"Yes, but why? It's... absurd." John shook his head.

Sherlock nodded as he exited the woods and strode over the lawn to the main building. "We need a list of all students and professors who have the required skill set, and of course we'll need to look at operating theatres and any other locations where the amputation itself could have been performed." He suddenly stopped and looked at John. "I never thought I should say this," he admitted with a crooked smile. "But you know a lot more about these kind of things than I do."

John chuckled, despite the uncomfortable feeling the corpse had brought to his stomach. Somehow Sherlock always managed to do this, and however inappropriate, giggling on a crime scene with his boyfriend didn't cease to make him feel good. "I do," he smirked.

Sherlock reached for his hand and gave it a small squeeze. "By all means," he said nodding towards the front doors. "Do your thing."

…

With some friendly words to the small university's reception staff, John easily acquired the list of medical students and professors competent in the right subjects - or at least those who were officially expected to be so. They showed them around in the operating theatres used for training, but clean and disinfected as they were, any of them could have been the place of the murder.

Sherlock merely glanced sceptically around the last room they were led into. "No," he stated. "None of these were the scene."  
He withdrew to think for a moment, but was startled, and more than a little annoyed, when John's mobile rang.

John gave him an apologetic look as he picked it up, but soon his expression changed as it turned out he could give Sherlock more data. "They have identified the corpse, even though the head is still missing. Her name was Chiara Stevenson," he said quietly, so that only Sherlock could hear the new information.

Sherlock perked up immediately. "And?" he said, smiling eagerly at John.

"She is indeed a student here. Medicine, fourth year. She lived in one of the dorms, in block E1," John answered, repeating everything they had told him on the phone.

"Let's go then," Sherlock said, turning and heading for the door.

...

The dorm corridors smelled a little and looked very unhygienic after the sparkling cleanness of the rooms they came from. A girl was sitting at the kitchen table with a book, and she frowned as she looked up and saw the two men come in, but immediately seemed to give a mental shrug. "It's the lamp over there," she pointed, before looking back at the book.

Sherlock strode over and looked down at her. "What can you tell me about Chiara Stevenson?" he demanded.

"Chiara? She lives in room 23, but I think she's not there. Haven't heard her since the day before yesterday. Probably gone home. She'll be back tomorrow if you need her. Why?" the girl asked.

John opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted by Sherlock.

"Thank you," he snapped and whirled around heading down the hall, scanning the numbers on the doors. He stopped in front of 23, tried opening it and then, smiling, got out his lock-pick.

John stood a little closer to cover what Sherlock was doing, so students coming down the hall wouldn't be alarmed by seeing him pick the lock. He fondly watched him smile. "This case really is a dream for you, hmm? A body without head or clues, now the chance to pick a lock..."

"And the chance to see you in action too." Sherlock grinned as the lock clicked. He opened the door and looked around. The room was messy, but no more than could be expected. "Look for a journal," he said. "Phone, tablet, laptop. Anything that can give insight into how and with whom she was spending her time."

John opened a desk drawer. It just contained some papers and a stapler. Fortunately, the next one was a hit. "Found her tablet."

"Perfect." Sherlock snatched it out of John's hand and turned it on. "Locked..." He went over to the window and held it up so the light reflected off the surface. "Remember this," he said. "2, 6, 8 and 9."

"Two six eight nine, got it," John nodded. "Actually..." He opened the first drawer again and looked into it. "It think it's eighty-two sixty-nine."

Sherlock frowned at him. "Why?"

"Because there's a sticker inside this drawer with those numbers on. Didn't pay attention to it at first."

Sherlock beamed at him. "I love you," he said before focusing on the tablet.

John grinned and kissed his cheek before looking for other useful objects.

Sherlock checked the calendar and notes. "A few names here we should check," he said. "And why she didn't show for pharmacology on Tuesday. It was a couple of hours before she died."

"How do you know she skipped pharmacology?" John asked.

"No notes," he said. "Otherwise they're very consistent. Not very good though," he added as he flicked through the documents.

"Quite probably she was with the killer then," John mused. "Or perhaps the lesson had been cancelled, making her be in the wrong place at the wrong moment, where some psychopath was looking for a victim."

Sherlock nodded. "Find out if it was cancelled," he ordered. Then he looked up and smiled. "Please."

John chuckled. "Aye, sir." He left the room and walked back to the reception.

...

When Sherlock was done with the room, he tucked the tablet under his coat and went down to the lobby.

A few minutes later, John returned. "They did have the lesson on Tuesday," he said immediately when he was close enough to Sherlock.

Sherlock nodded. "So we need to know why she didn't show and if she was with anyone. We need to talk to some of the other students."

"Where do we start?" John asked.

"She was in a study group." He retrieved the tablet and checked. "Let's begin with Sophie Carter... E2."

A tall, blonde girl opened the door. "Uhm, hi, how can I help you?" she asked, a little shy.

"Are you Sophie Carter?" John asked friendly.

She nodded.

Sherlock strode past her into the room and sat down on the only chair. "How well do you know Chiara Stevenson?" he asked.

She stared at him. "Uhm, who are you and why are you sitting in my room without invitation?"

"Sherlock Holmes and John Watson," John said quickly. "We're helping the police with an investigation."

She frowned. "What did Chiara do?"

"Die," Sherlock said. "Were you friends?"

Sophie stared at him. "_Die_? Chiara's dead?" she asked, sounding hysterical.

John sighed but didn't even bother to give Sherlock a look. "I'm sorry, Sophie," he said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"How did it happen?"

"She was killed," John answered vaguely. "Listen, we really need to know more about her. To help us find who did it."

"Yes, yes, of course," she said shakily. "I, uhm, we weren't really friends. It's just such a shock. She always came to me for help, when there were things she didn't understand. And if you needed gossip, she was the one to turn to," she added after a little hesitation.

"Well, we can't do that now, can we?" Sherlock commented dryly. "Who were her friends?"

"Kelly Roberts," Sophie answered immediately. "And she was also often around Nathan Saw and his friends. Oh, and the last few days there was that new girl, what's-her-name."

John gave her an encouraging nod, but after a moment of thinking she shrugged. "I don't remember her name."

Sherlock nodded and got to his feet. "I'll talk to Kelly Roberts," he said to John, as he walked from the room. "You can find out about the new girl."

"Okay. Excuse me for a second, Sophie," John quickly said to the girl. He followed Sherlock and closed the door behind him, before running after him. "Sherlock! A moment." He took his arm and turned him to face him. "Try to use a_little_ more tact on Kelly, if she was Chiara's best friend?"

"Of course," Sherlock frowned at him. "I know how to be tactful when I need to."

"I know, just remember _that_ you need to, now," John said, giving Sherlock a small smile to show that he wasn't angry. "Good luck." He turned around and went back to Sophie for more information on the new student.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When John arrived back in the hotel room, Sherlock wasn't there yet. In the end, Sophie had found her fellow student's name on Facebook. According to her profile picture, Eliza Valjean was a dirty-blonde girl with big eyes and a questionable clothing style that involved a lot of clashing colours.

Sitting down on the bed, he waited for Sherlock to arrive so he could tell him everything. There wasn't much more to do. A phone call about this case had had Sherlock jumping up, packing a few necessary things but leaving laptops and books as they hurried to get a cab to the small university town.

He looked up when there was a sound in the corridor, hoping it would be his lover.

The moment Sherlock stepped through the door, he let his coat fall to the floor. As he closed the door behind him, he looked around. When he saw John on the bed, he grinned. "Perfect," he purred as he approached, unbuttoning his shirt.

John let out a laugh and stood up to stroke the newly exposed skin of Sherlock's chest. "Let me guess, you got frustrated talking to the students?"

Sherlock didn't answer but covered John's mouth with his own in a kiss that lasted long enough for him to shrug off his jacket and shirt, unbuckle John's belt and unbutton his trousers. Then he pushed John down on the bed, straddled his knees and pulled his trousers and pants down to his thighs.

John smiled up at him. Well, that was a nice surprise. Of course it wasn't the first time Sherlock broke the "not during a case" rule that John had expected at the start of their relationship, months ago. In fact, it was rather becoming a rule that they _would_ go at it when a mystery was becoming complicated. Still, their work on this case had only begun a couple of hours ago, and yet Sherlock's movements were surprisingly urgent.

Pushing himself up a little on one elbow, John pulled the detective down by the back of his neck for another kiss.

Sherlock kissed John hungrily and reached one hand down to stroke him hard.

John moaned, falling back as he used the arm he was leaning on to caress Sherlock's shoulder and back.

Sherlock moved down to take John's cock in his mouth. With urgent hands he struggled to remove his own trousers while sucking and licking eagerly.

"Oh god," John groaned, tangling his fingers in the dark curls to rub Sherlock's scalp in the way he knew he liked.

As soon as Sherlock was naked, he positioned himself over John. As he sank down over him, he groaned and all urgency vanished. He leaned down and kissed John. "Did I mention that I love you?" he whispered.

John grinned breathlessly. "Now there's a kind of repetition that will never get boring." He gasped as Sherlock moved. "Fuck, I love you too."

Resting his hands on John's chest, Sherlock moved slowly, rolling his hips to take John deeper. He closed his eyes and moaned softly.

John was also moaning, putting his hands on Sherlock's hips as he started thrusting gently.

"Yes," Sherlock whispered as he tilted back his head, matching his movements to John's.

"I wish you could see how ridiculously beautiful you look," John said, licking his lips.

Sherlock looked down at him and smiled. "Only for you, love."

Sherlock's deep voice caused a full body shiver and John pulled him down again to crush their lips together. "All mine," he panted.

Sherlock whimpered softly as he continued to ride John, kissing him eagerly.

Planting his foot in the mattress for leverage, John rolled them over, groaning as he could now thrust more forcefully.

Sherlock clung to him. "Oh god, yes," he moaned.

"I'm going to come, I'm going to fill you and mark you as mine," John said hoarsely in Sherlock's ear, knowing exactly what that kind of talk did to the great detective.

"Yes," Sherlock moaned. "I'm all yours..." Almost desperately he reached between them and began stroking himself.

John rammed into him, finally releasing deep inside Sherlock, with his moans muffled in the taller man's neck.

Sherlock gasped. After a few more strokes his own orgasm hit him and he trembled under John, clenching around him.

John didn't immediately pull out, but just limply lay on top of Sherlock, pressing soft kisses to his neck. "My amazing, beautiful genius," he mumbled.

Sherlock smiled. "I love you," he said, running his fingers through John's hair. John lazily lifted his head so he could kiss Sherlock, who caught his lip and sucked on it. When he released it he chuckled. "Sorry for jumping you like that, but I really needed this."

"You didn't hear me complain, did you?" John smirked, his face still hovering over Sherlock's with their noses almost touching.

"Never have." Sherlock lifted his head to kiss John.

John was grinning when they pulled back. "So, what got you so worked up?" he asked, easing himself off Sherlock to snuggle next to him.

"The insufferable combination of stupid people and missing you."

"Hmm, if it has this effect, I'll need to leave you alone more often, during, what was it, half an hour?" John's eyes were twinkling.

Sherlock grinned. "They were really stupid."

John laughed and kissed him. "Could they tell you anything useful?"

"Apparently the new friend of the victim was called Liza or something like that and was a bit odd." He changed to an eerie impression of a young chatty girl. "She was always following Chiry around and being so weird and rude to everybody." He sighed.

John laughed again. "Her name was Eliza Valjean. Sophie told me, but she also had to look her up on Facebook to remember. Seems like she isn't the most popular girl of her year. And she doesn't have a room in the dorms, so I couldn't find her before we have her address."

"Right..." Sherlock leapt off the bed. "They must have that at the administration. You go get it and I'll see what classes Chiara attended." He picked up his clothes and headed for the bathroom.

John snorted and stretched on the bed, before rolling off, wiping himself clean and getting dressed. Then he walked into the bathroom. "Text me if you want to meet somewhere other than here."

Sherlock looked at him over his shoulder and grinned. "Don't give me any ideas."

"That actually wasn't what I meant," John chuckled.

"Too bad," Sherlock reached for the shampoo.

"Or not exclusively," John smirked. "If you weren't covered in soap you'd get a goodbye kiss before I disappear for another half hour."

"Half an hour and no kiss?" Sherlock teased. "You're really in for it when I see you again. You better pray I don't encounter any stupidity or you won't be able to walk straight for a week."

John chuckled. "I can only hope."

"Then keep your fingers crossed for lots of stupidity."

...

Twenty minutes later, Sherlock texted John to meet him at the University's morgue.

'_For the case, I may hope? I can think of more romantic places,'_ John answered, before thanking the woman for giving him Eliza's address, and rushing to the morgue.

Sherlock smiled as he read the text, then continued his search of the room.

John quietly walked in. "Hey," he said, to make sure Sherlock noticed that he had entered. "Found anything new?"

Sherlock looked up and smiled at him. "We'll need to confirm the DNA, but I'm pretty sure the amputation was done here." He pointed to some faint reddish brown traces in the groove between two tiles on the floor. "Someone did a pretty good job cleaning, but not thorough enough." He got to his feet, "And before you ask, yes, I'm sure these are not just traces of a legitimate autopsy or dissection, since this is only a few days old and this room has supposedly not been used since the finals in June."

John nodded. "Okay. But I still don't get who would do that. And did they sedate her first? Why would Chiara come here with someone?"

"It definitely has something to with that other girl. Eliza. She was the last person to be seen with Chiara and is unusual in many ways. She has only been here since the start of term, but she's mainly following fourth year classes. So, of course she could have transferred, having done the first three years somewhere else, but she has also been attending first year's anatomy classes as well as some lectures for second and third year. Basic stuff that she should know if she had studied somewhere else. It's like she's trying to do an entire degree in a single year." He paused for breath. "I was also told that she frequented this place a lot, so I decided to take a look and immediately saw the blood on the floor. There are no traces on any of the instruments, but a few have been cleaned more recently than the rest. I would like you to take a look at them and tell me if they are consistent with the amputation." He pointed to a table with a small number of surgical tools.

John studied the tools for a while. "Yes, I think it could be done with those, but... You know. Heads aren't taken off that easily. On the picture I've seen, Eliza looks rather frail. I have difficulty imagining that a young girl has the strength to take off a head in one blow."

Sherlock nodded. "She is either working for or with somebody. I think it's time we go talk to her."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The address John was given, lead to the strangest house, he had ever seen, only a few streets away from the university campus. Okay, modern architecture was never exactly his taste, with all those weird curves and the lack of warmth, but whoever had put a little tower on the left of the arched roof, really must have been drunk or something. Frowning, John had another look at the number next to the door. Definitely right. No wonder that that girl was acting strange, if she lived here. He rang the bell, looking up at Sherlock.

Sherlock smiled down at John, resisting the temptation to give him a quick kiss before the door opened. As he heard footsteps approaching, he pulled up his collar and put on his best detective-frown.

"Hello!" the small, blonde girl in the door said cheerily. "Come in, I've just made coffee! Would you like some biscuits?"

John frowned and sent a questioning look to Sherlock. It wasn't often that they were welcomed like this, and she hadn't even asked who they were. On the other hand, if this was a trap, it was a very obvious one.

Sherlock looked just as puzzled, but hid it quickly. "Thank you," he said, and stepped through the door.

"My friends at school were complaining I was rude, so I read up on politeness," the girl babbled as they went through the hall into the living room. "It all comes down to acting cheery and interested with people you don't care about for even the slightest. Easy. Sit down please, and make yourselves comfortable."

John found that he was staring in confusion. "Right. Could you also sit down, please? We want to talk to you about-"

"I thought it wasn't done to ask people to sit in their own houses!" she called out. "It's like offering people their own drinks!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to offend you," John said quickly, feeling highly uncomfortable.

Her face turned back to a big smile within the second. "Oh, don't think about it. I just wanted to show that I _know_ these things."

Sherlock smiled. "Yes, you've obviously done your homework. Very good." He grinned at John. Finally someone more socially awkward than himself. Perhaps there was no need to be polite with this one. "Who killed Chiara Stevenson?" he asked bluntly.

She blinked. "I don't know?"

John sighed, even though Eliza wasn't showing any emotion. "We're really sorry about your friend. She was found murdered, and we are investigating who did it."

"I only stole a loaf of bread!" she said indignantly, then seemed to remember something. "Wait, I didn't."

"What?" John said, wrinkling his nose.

"Listen. I wouldn't harm Chiara. She was my best friend!"

"We're not saying you would," John said soothingly. "We just want to know when you last saw her."

"Well, before she died," Eliza shrugged.

"You went with her to the morgue," Sherlock persisted. "Who did you meet there?"

"No-one," Eliza answered. "I made sure we wouldn't. We weren't supposed to be there."

Sherlock leaned forward. "So why were you there?"

"I wanted to practise," Eliza answered. "I have to admit that Chiara wasn't so keen on it."

Sherlock raised a surprised eyebrow. Surely she couldn't mean... "I see," he said. "Was she any help?"

Eliza gave him a calculating look. "No. She left, so we didn't get to do anything." Then she frowned. "This thing you people do is really strange. Why would someone say something that is not true? It's weird."

Sherlock nodded in agreement. "The truth is much easier. Lying takes practice. Try again."

John looked from Sherlock to Eliza with surprise. What the hell was going on here?

Eliza watched Sherlock intently. "Your brain probably looks very interesting," she remarked, running a finger across her bottom lip.

Sherlock nodded. "It does. Though the differences are very subtle. Only a true expert would appreciate it."

"What the hell?" John mouthed.

Eliza's eyes were shining. "Perhaps you would understand. The need to know more, to develop new skills... Yes, I think you would, Mr. Holmes."

"Yes. I understand. The pursuit of vital knowledge supersedes all other concerns." Sherlock winked at John. He was loving this. This was indeed a real treat to have stumbled upon.

Eliza smiled and licked her lips. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Oh. Pressing the bell that long isn't polite _at all_. Why do people make rules they don't keep to?" she asked, getting up.

John also leapt up, following her to the door to make sure she wouldn't get away. Whatever that lunatic girl had been saying, she was acting suspicious at the least.

"No, you two won't get coffee. You're ringing the bell far too rudely," Eliza said when she took in the two other men in front of her doorway. She sounded like a primary school teacher, reprimanding index finger included.

"Apologies, but if I wanted coffee, I'd have asked Ianto," the man in the coat smirked. "Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones. You are Eliza Valjean, and you're not from around here."

"Neither are you. American accent," Eliza said proudly. "I'll always think it sounds funny."

Sherlock got to his feet too and went to inspect. At the sight of the two men he was almost overwhelmed by information. He stopped and stared.  
Outdated but well-kept military attire, assumptions of unquestioned authority, smugness, and something else. Quite a lot of 'something else'. Almost desperately, Sherlock turned his attention to the younger man. Servile, shy, but oddly possessive and somehow... dangerous.  
Sherlock opened his mouth to speak, but the young man, Ianto, cleared his throat and spoke, deferential but insistent: "Captain. We're on a schedule..."

"Right. Sorry, Mr. Holmes." Jack gave Sherlock a nod. "We'll take the case from here."

John frowned. "Who are you?"

"Torchwood. I'm afraid this is more up our street than yours, Captain Watson, however good you two are. The elder Mr. Holmes was quite right to draw our attention to the matter."

"The _matter_ doesn't really like it when you talk about her like that," Eliza threw in.

Sherlock bristled as he stepped forward. "Whatever my brother may have told you, this has got nothing to do with him or his... areas." He looked the captain up and down and then scoffed. "So please keep your nose out of our work." He put an almost possessive hand on Eliza's shoulder and flashed them his most 'pleasant' smile.

"This isn't your _area_ either," Jack said.

"Still, I prefer Mr. Holmes," Eliza said. "He understands."

Ianto took a step forward. "Please," he said. "We do not have time for this." He smiled reassuringly. "Ms Valjean. We understand too. And we can help you. All the information you need will be made available to you."

"Really?" Eliza asked. "So you also agree on me having a look at your brain? Mr. Holmes did."

Ianto shrugged. "I'm afraid my brain isn't nearly as interesting as Mr. Holmes'. But we have many other fascinating things for you to study. Exotic traumas and even mutations. And much better equipment than the university." He held out an inviting hand.  
Sherlock glared at him, keeping his hand on Eliza's shoulder. "He's lying. Obviously."

Eliza licked her lips and took Ianto's hand, then turned it around to study it. "I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes," she sighed, looking back at Sherlock. "It's the choice between one interesting brain and a lot of new information. You understand."

"So, that's decided," Jack said.

"It's _not_ decided," Sherlock huffed. "This young woman is the prime suspect of a murder, we're investigating. She will have to accompany us to the nearest police station for questioning."

"Like I said, the case is ours now. This goes past your expertise, however extensive," Jack said, leading Eliza to the black jeep.

"Can't we work together?" John asked. After all he was the one who had to live with a sulky Sherlock if they couldn't go on with this.

Ianto smiled apologetically at them. "Sorry," he said. "But we're taking over."  
Sherlock groaned and disappeared back into the house.

John sighed as he saw them drive away. Then he turned and went into the house to find Sherlock.

...

Sherlock was pacing around the sitting room, tugging at his hair with one hand and swearing quite imaginatively. When he saw John he stopped and stared at him.  
"Do you have _any_ idea how deliciously interesting that mystery was? The one that was just snatched up right in front of us. And by what? An arrogant anachronism and a boy in a suit..." he ranted.

John tentatively took his hand. "Can't we go on without the witness? She was... weird. There must be other clues that don't want to _look at your brain_."

Sherlock smiled at him fondly. "John," he said softly. "She was not a _witness_. She was the killer. A wonderfully enigmatic one." Then he pulled him closer. "She was studying human anatomy, but why and how I don't know. And I just know it's going to keep nagging and nagging at me. Unless I can find something to distract me... A lot."

John smirked. "Well. You know I'm always willing to help with that..."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John, smiling at him. "What would I do without you?" He pulled him closer, almost lifting him a little and kissed him hungrily.

John pulled back, laughing. "We're in someone else's house. What if that girl's parents come in and there are two strange men snogging each other senseless in their living room?"

"She lives here alone," Sherlock said, kissing John again. "No real friends... and besides... unless someone hurries... they won't catch us snogging." He pushed John back until he was up against the dining table.

"You are unbelievable," John mumbled, far too aroused to really protest. Sucking on Sherlock's bottom lip, he started fumbling with the button of his trousers.

Sherlock opened John's trousers with practised agile fingers, pulled them down along with his pants, and then lifted him up so he was sitting on the edge of the table. Continuing to kiss him, he wrapped one hand around his cock and began stroking. "I want you," he muttered. "Right now."

"God, yes," John breathed against his lips. He worked his hands under Sherlock's shirt to stroke his back and pull him closer.

With his other hand Sherlock quickly got his own trousers and pants out of the way. Then he moved his hand and slowly worked a finger into John.

John moaned and pressed down on the finger, easily relaxing around him.

Sherlock smiled and then took his hand off John's cock. He licked his palm and gave himself a few slow strokes. "Ready?" he asked.

"Fuck, yes. Sherlock..." John gave him another heated kiss.

Sherlock pulled his finger out and lined up with John's hole. He began stroking him again and pushed in slowly.

John groaned and pressed his face into Sherlock's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck.

Sherlock paused for a moment when he was completely sheathed in John. Then, with a soft groan, he began moving. John gasped and eagerly began sucking on Sherlock's neck.

Sherlock put his hands on John's hips and pulled him into each thrust as they became faster and harder. He moaned and stretched his neck, exposing as much skin as possible to John's lips.

"Fuck," John moaned. The hard thrusts completely made up for the loss of those fingers on his cock, and he was completely lost in Sherlock's movements, whimpering as he was getting close to orgasm.

Sherlock caught John's lips with his own and kissed him deeply, sucking John's tongue into his mouth.

Moaning into Sherlock's mouth, John wrapped his legs around the other's back to keep him close, shuddering as he came.

Sherlock gasped as John clenched around him. With a few hard thrusts he climaxed too, muffling his cry by burying his face in John's shoulder.

Turning his face to press kisses on Sherlock's temple, John stroked his back and held him close throughout his orgasm. "Once again, that was amazing, but I really think we should leave," he said with a small smirk.

Sherlock nodded. "Agreed..." He kissed John. "Just let me catch my breath..."

John smiled and answered the kiss. "I promise I'll distract you some more, once we're back at the hotel."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ianto smiled apologetically as he locked the door to the cell. "I'm really sorry, Eliza," he said. "But with you being an alien and all, we really do need to check on some things before we can let you have a look at all the interesting things we've got here." He ignored her protests, as he walked away with a crooked smile.  
He went to the kitchen and picked up two cups of coffee, before he made his way up to Jack's office. The captain was sitting at his desk, slumped forward, his head resting on his arms. Ianto put the cups down and went over to stand behind Jack. He placed his hands on his shoulders and began massaging gently. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Hmm, no. Thinking. Getting coffee and a back rub is a nice side effect," Jack mumbled, leaning a little back into Ianto's hands.

Ianto smiled. "Of course, Jack." He dug his fingers in a little deeper, searching out the knots in the muscles and smoothing them with practised ease. For a while he worked in silence, then he chuckled softly.

Jack hummed and lifted his head. "What's on your mind?"

"The younger Holmes brother," Ianto mused. "He's quite a character, isn't he? Not at all what I would have expected."

Jack smiled. "Very different from his brother, yes. And he looks better than his pictures." He leaned his head back so he could look up at Ianto.

Ianto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, that would be the part you noticed, wouldn't it?"

"Didn't you?" Jack smirked.

Ianto shook his head. "He seemed rather arrogant to me. And vain. What with that coat of his..." Ianto blushed. "I mean," he said quickly, "some people can carry it off, others can't."

Jack chuckled. "He's a genius. They tend to develop an ego." He stood up and turned to Ianto. "And they all need someone to keep them on the rails. That small captain of his seems to do well."

"A very sensible fellow it seemed," Ianto smiled. "I don't know why he'd put up with a prima donna like that."

Laughing, Jack pressed a kiss beneath Ianto's ear. "How did our other star of the day handle being locked up?" he asked.

Ianto giggled, and then tried to turn it into a cough. "She's sulking, I think," he answered as he stroked Jack's cheek with his fingertips. "Said we would regret it. That her family would take care of it."

"Hmm, the usual. We really need to find out what she is." Jack softly kissed Ianto's lips.

"Indeed, Sir," Ianto said, returning the kiss with a small sigh.

"But I'm sure the identification can wait just a little longer."

"Indeed... Sir," Ianto said again, growing a little weak at the knees.

Jack kissed him again, pulling him close against his body, and Ianto practically melted in Jack's arms, kissing him eagerly. With his right hand, Jack slowly started to undress Ianto, never breaking the kiss and his left arm still embracing the other man.

Ianto fumbled with the buttons on Jack's shirt, his eagerness making the job that much harder. Jack hummed, pushing down Ianto's trousers before placing his hands on the other man's neck.

Ianto moaned softly as he finally got Jack's shirt open and began tugging his undershirt free of his trousers.

Eager for what would follow, Jack decided to help with his own trousers and pants, then turned the chair behind him and pulled Ianto into his lap.

Ianto whimpered in anticipation, pressing himself against Jack.

Jack smoothed his hands over the cheeks of Ianto's arse, pushing him up a little.

Ianto moaned. "Yes..." he whispered. "Please, Jack."

"I want you, Ianto," Jack breathed, probing his finger against Ianto's hole.

"Then take me," Ianto gasped. "Now..."

Jack pulled him closer in the right angle and slowly eased in, sighing and throwing his head back. "Ianto..."

"Jack," Ianto moaned, pushing himself down on Jack.

Jack groaned and started thrusting up, catching Ianto's lips.

Ianto clung to him, returning the kiss greedily.

Jack reached between them and started stroking Ianto lightly, speeding up the movements of his hips.

"Fuck, Jack," Ianto gasped, leaning down to kiss his neck.

"Busy," Jack mumbled, but it lacked the usual humour. "Fuck, I want you to come, Ianto."

Ianto closed his eyes bearing down on Jack. "God yes," he moaned. He sucked hard on Jack's neck and a moment later his body tensed and then trembled with his release.

"Yes, yes," Jack rumbled, keeping Ianto close as he gave his final few thrusts before he came with a sigh.

Ianto leaned against Jack, resting his head on his shoulder, as he caught his breath.

Jack pressed a kiss on his temple and stroked his arms. "We should go back to work."

"Right." Ianto sat up straight. "Do you want me to write the report or do you want me to get you some coffee?"

Jack smirked. "First, I want another kiss, and then we should have a look at what species Eliza actually is. Coffee could of course help with that."

Ianto smiled. "Okay, kiss first." He gave him a lazy lingering kiss. Then he eased off him. "I'll go make the coffee, you start looking." He pulled up his pants and trousers and then headed off to the kitchen.

...

"Hmm…" Jack said, scrolling through a description on his computer. "There aren't many alien species this similar to humans, and we know she isn't a shape-shifter. This species I'm reading about though… They have violet eyes, just like her. The other differences from the human body are mainly invisible, in the digestive system, brain and… Well." He grinned, looking up at Ianto. "Maybe we should get her naked, just for safety reasons."

Ianto shot Jack a dirty look, as he put a fresh cup of coffee on his desk. "Or we could do an x-ray."

"Where's the fun in that? Anyway," Jack continued, "They aren't generally malicious. They even have special awards of honour for the Dadhennku who have contributed with the most new information, and they all enter a contract from birth to work on the great encyclopaedia of their planet and the rest of the galaxy."

Ianto managed an expression somewhere between mirth and admiration. "Wit beyond measure," he commented, before picking up his own cup and sitting down in his usual chair next to Jack's desk. "So, if she is a... dah... da... one of those - what do we do with her?"

"Dadhennku," Jack corrected with a smirk. "And I don't really know. We can't really let her loose. If she goes decapitating people... The search for knowledge isn't always that harmless."

Ianto considered for a moment. "We could... put her to work."

"What do you mean?" Jack frowned.

"Well, it seems she knows how to dissect and we do have an open position after..." He shrugged and looked away. "Under careful supervision of course," he added.

Jack pulled on his bottom lip. "I don't know. She can easily go too far, and she can refuse to find out things she already knows, but are of use to us."

Ianto considered. "Maybe you're right. But perhaps we could lure her with some of the unidentified stuff in the vaults. Like 'If you find the cause of death on this weevil, we'll let you have a look at the two-headed squid'."

"We'll consider it," Jack said, giving a thoughtful nod. "It's better than just keeping her locked up, I guess."

Ianto nodded. "It's been a long day," he said. "How about we unwind a little?" Before Jack even had time to flash his grin, he hurriedly added, "We could go grab a pint. Maybe shoot some pool."

Jack shrugged, smirking. "If that's what you want to do to unwind..."

Ianto couldn't help but laugh. "It is. It would be nice to get out of the Hub together without an alarm to see us off."

"Alright then." Jack picked up his coat. "Tonight, you lead." He winked.

Ianto blushed a little. Then he put on his own coat and offered Jack his arm with a little teasing bow.

Grinning widely, Jack took it and they left.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Jack," Ianto said his name for the third time in as many minutes. "Are you even listening to me?" He frowned. "Or are you too busy flashing your killer smile at those girls?"

"What if I am?" Jack looked back at Ianto, who was waiting for him to take his turn in their game of pool. "_They_ were the ones who started staring."

"Well, I can't blame them for that," Ianto smirked. "It's just I've been trying to ask you thrice now when Gwen will be back from visiting her family."

"Tomorrow," Jack said, before turning back towards the girls and winking.

"Right." Ianto scowled at the girls. "It's your turn," he added, through slightly gridded teeth.

Jack ignored him and walked towards the two girls standing by the bar with their drinks. "Hello. Well, staring at my pretty friend over there?"

The blonde girl giggled. "Not really," she said, winking at Jack. Her friend blushed and looked away.

Jack chuckled and reached out his hand to the blonde. "Captain Jack Harkness. What are your names?"

She smiled and took his hand, holding it rather than shaking it. "I'm Sherryl," she said. "This is Anette."  
Ianto approached slowly, weighing his options. He could fake a rift emergency, but Jack would see through that as soon as they reached the Hub. He could do the 'boyfriend'-bit, but he wasn't sure Jack would appreciate it. Or... he could try and beat him at his own game. He doubted he stood a chance, but maybe, just maybe, he would get Jack's attention.  
"Hello Anette," he said, holding out his hand, smiling. "My name is Ianto. My friend here is really rubbish at pool. And he's kind of lost interest. Do you think you could take over for him?"  
Anette giggled and glanced at Sherryl who nodded encouragingly. She shrugged and then reached for the cue.

Jack chuckled. If Ianto wanted to play, he wouldn't say no. "He's always so competitive," he winked, then grinned at Sherryl. "You don't really seem the pool type. I guess you like more exciting things."

Ianto tried to keep his eyes off Jack as he focused on playing and flirting with Anette. He thought that if Jack did indeed intend to pick up Sherryl right in front of him, he might as well get something out of it.

"I do prefer excitement," Sherryl smirked, looking up at Jack through her lashes before she hopped onto a stool to watch Ianto and her friend. "Only last week, I was jogging, and what I saw..."

"Oh god, not that story again," Anette said, giving her a look.

"Tell us more," Jack smirked.

The other girl sighed, shook her head at Ianto and focused on the game again.

"Well, _she_ doesn't believe me, but I know I saw an alien," Sherryl said in a conspiratorial voice.

Jack pulled up his eyebrow and instantly became more interested. "What did it look like?"

"Big, and dark blue, and it had fangs and fur. I was just running through the park and there it was, leaping out of the bushes and pushing me to the side. I had the fright of my life, and believe me when I say I'm not easily scared."

"Dark blue and fur? Hmm... I don't know that species, do you, Ianto?" Jack asked, thinking.

"Oh please, don't encourage her!" Anette gave him an exasperated look.

"Can't help it, Annie. Extraterrestrials are a bit of a hobby of ours," Jack shrugged at her.

"She_ always_ tells this when she's had a drink too much. And it was always last week," Anette pointed out. "Just because some boy in a costume made her jump once."

Ianto couldn't quite suppress his smirk as he drew Anette's attention back to the game with a perhaps too friendly hand, a little too low on her back. Let Jack have his fun. She was clearly no threat.

Jack continued his conversation with Sherryl, flirting and laughing, but when it turned out that Ianto had absolutely crushed Anette in the game of pool and she called him the winner, he jumped to his feet. "The winner deserves a kiss!" he exclaimed, and he saw Anette look up at Ianto with an eager smile, before he stepped between them and kissed Ianto soundly on his mouth. "Well done."

Ianto would have pushed Jack away. Definitely. But the moment their lips touched instinct and habit took over, and his hand was half way to the other man's cheek, before Jack pulled back. He felt the heat rising in his cheek, and his halfhearted protest died when Anette giggled and Sherryl snorted.

Jack grinned at Ianto before he turned to kiss Anette and then Sherryl as well. "Ladies," he announced, "thank you for the great evening. Unfortunately, Ianto and I have work to do tomorrow, so unless you want to join us for the night, we'll have to say goodbye."

Ianto blushed even more and glared at Jack. Sherryl looked scandalized, but Anette eyed Ianto with a distinctly hungry gleam in her eyes.

"The more the merrier," Jack said, with an inviting smile to Anette.

Ianto stammered and his glare turned into a slightly panicked, silent plea.

"Annie, you can't be seriously considering this. We don't know them and hell knows how old they are!" Sherryl called out.

Jack pulled up an eyebrow.

"It's only a little fun, Sherryl," Anette answered, but she looked a little more hesitant.

Ianto snapped. "I'm sorry ladies, but I really need to get this man to bed." He grabbed Jack's hand and hauled him out, blushing harder than ever.

Jack beamed at him with a wide grin as he let himself be dragged along. "Oh, Mr. Jones, are we getting possessive?"

"Shut up." Ianto let go of him the moment they were outside, thrust his hands deep in his pockets and began walking slowly back towards the Hub.

Jack flung his arm around Ianto's shoulders. "You still have the lead tonight," he said softly in the other man's ear.

Ianto just grunted, keeping his head down.

"Your choice if you're not going to do anything with that," Jack shrugged with a confident smile.

Ianto walked in silence for a while. Then he drew in a deep breath. "I don't care what you get up to on your own," he muttered. "But don't ever try to get me involved like that again."

Jack gave him a fond smile. "They wouldn't have said yes. I was surprised that Anette even seemed to consider it. Apparently I had underestimated your charms, and that means something."

Ianto huffed but couldn't quite hide his pleased grin. "Guess we'll just have to keep each other company tonight."

"Too bad," Jack grinned.

Ianto nodded and then giggled. "You're terrible," he said and laid his arm around Jack's waist.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ianto woke, as so many times before, completely enveloped in Jack's strong arms. Jack tended to be a lot more possessive when he was sleeping, treating Ianto like his personal teddy bear. Ianto would tease him about it, but deep down he loved it. It made him feel so safe and... well, wanted.  
That was the reason why Jack was under the illusion that Ianto always slept longer than he did. He could lie completely still like this for hours, simply enjoying the warmth of the other man.

Waking up very slowly, Jack pushed his face into the junction of Ianto's neck and shoulder. He let out a little hum and tightened his grip even more.

Ianto muttered sleepily, snuggling a little closer. He half opened his eyes and looked at Jack, smiling. "Morning."

"Morning," Jack smiled, lifting his head to give Ianto a lazy kiss.

Ianto returned the kiss and then turned away to yawn. Jack ruffled his hair, then pulled away and stretched before sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Ianto sighed silently. He loved the long lazy mornings. But as soon as Jack was awake, if Ianto didn't get him interested in not-so-lazy activities, he would soon be out of bed. He was such a very restless creature.  
"What are the plans for today?" he asked as he too sat up.

"Talking to Eliza about your plan, for a start," Jack answered, getting up. "But I'd like breakfast. And one of your brilliant coffees."

Ianto hid his grin. "So, I'll make coffee and you'll take care of breakfast?"

Jack turned towards him and quirked his eyebrow. "I thought you said I can't cook."

Ianto snorted at the memory. "Right," he said. "How about you go pick something up at the café then? We have nothing in to make any kind of decent meal. I'll get started on the coffee."

"Alright then. What's the use of being a Captain if you can't even order someone to make you breakfast?" he mumbled, starting the search for his clothes all over the Hub.

"Well," Ianto said, pointing to Jack's trousers which were hanging over the railing, "I can go get breakfast, but then that either means I'll have to get coffee from the café as well, or that you will have to make it. If you want my coffee, you'll have to get the breakfast. Either's fine by me, but I can't do both." He tossed Jack his pants which had fallen behind the nightstand.

"Now who is terrible?" Jack said, planting one hand in his side and catching his pants with the other. Looking at them with a sigh, he turned and put them on.

"I'm not terrible. I'm logical," Ianto quipped, as he picked his own clothes off the chair and began putting them on.

Jack huffed and pulled up his trousers.

...

When Jack returned, still scowling, Ianto stood waiting with two steaming cups of his very best coffee. He beamed at him.

"Don't look so smug. The coffee'd better be good," Jack grumbled.

"It's _my_ coffee," Ianto answered with a shrug.

Jack's face broke into a smile and he took one of the cups. Ianto smirked and took the bag from him. He arranged the food on two plates which he then brought over to the table.

Jack took a sip of his coffee and gave Ianto an appreciative look. "So, feel unwound after your evening in the pub?" he asked, smirking.

Ianto stretched lazily before sitting down and starting to eat. "Very," he said.

"I still believe that that's rather thanks to the actions _after_ the pub."

"Then how come I don't feel this relaxed _every_ morning?" he teased.

"Weevil attacks? Registration of rift activity? A too demanding boss who wants that gorgeous coffee of yours all the time?" Jack grinned.

"Right." Ianto sipped his coffee and closed his eyes. "Maybe it's just the coffee that helps me unwind."

Jack chuckled.

...

"Gwen's running late," he remarked, after finishing breakfast. "I guess we'd better go and talk to Eliza, instead of sitting here waiting for her."

Ianto nodded and began clearing away the plates. "I'll be with you in a moment," he said.

"Thanks," Jack nodded, getting up and leaving for the cells.

Ianto took his time in the kitchen, savouring the memories of the previous night, before descending into what he was sure would be madness.

"Morning," Jack said when he opened the door to the cells. There was no reaction, except for a snore from the weevil. He stepped in front of Eliza's cell and crossed his arms. "I've got a deal for you."

Eliza looked up, huddled in a corner, and crossed her arms too. "I'm not interested in economics," she said, haughtily lifting her chin.

"It's not about money. We've got a job for you, if you want it," Jack said.

She frowned. "What kind of job?"

"We get bodies in here, more often than we like, actually. Most of the time we need information on them, and you've proven that you're perfectly skilled to do post-mortems. Perhaps a little too perfectly. In exchange we could let you have a look at more interesting life forms than humans," Jack explained.

"Humans are my subject," she answered, shrugging.

"Most of the bodies we want information on, are human."

She thought for a moment. "But as long as there aren't any corpses you need a post-mortem on... You'll just lock me up down here again, won't you? It's cold in here. And lonely. And the weevil makes stupid noises, and he's not interesting. We already know 99% of what there is to know about them."

_Definitely Dadhennku_, Jack thought.

The door opened again and Ianto came in.

"Oh, there's the nice boy who knows all about lying," Eliza said, getting to her feet.

Ianto smiled. "How are you two getting along?" he asked pleasantly.

"Not very well," Eliza answered. "He is being very human though. Making a deal full of advantages for him and none for me, giving me the illusion that it is for altruistic reasons. I don't want to stay locked up here."

"I didn't say you would," Jack said.

"Of course I will. You think I'm a threat. The easiest way to supervise me is to keep me in one place, under your control."

"We don't think you're a threat," Ianto said, stepping close to the glass. "We think you are a very smart girl, who's very good at what she does. And smart enough to know that working with us is your best option at this time. As for keeping you locked up, you just have to prove that we can trust you."

She blinked. "Why does it always sound like a better idea when the nice boy says it?"

Jack smirked. "I often ask myself the same question."

"So you want to give it a try?" Ianto deployed his most winning smile. "And maybe join us upstairs for coffee? Or perhaps you prefer tea?"

"Of course I prefer tea, I'm British... And I suppose it's better than sitting here..." Suddenly Eliza perked up and grinned. "When can I start?"

Ianto winked at Jack. "Right after the tea." He nodded for Jack to open the cell.

"Are you lying again?" Eliza asked interestedly.

"No, we really have something for you to look at," Jack answered, opening the door.

When Ianto had seen her settled on the sofa, he went to make a pot of the best tea he had, keeping a discrete eye on them both.

"What kind of corpse do you have for me?" Eliza asked, almost hopping on her seat with excitement.

"Badly injured," Jack answered. "We have no idea yet who has done it. But if the killer was human, he or she must be extremely skilled in removing eyes and have an incredibly steady hand."

"I didn't do it," Eliza said immediately. "Would have liked to try, though... Can I try, when you ever find a body _with_ eyes?" She was smiling eagerly.

"Maybe..." Jack said slowly. "That depends on how good your work is."

"I'm brilliant," Eliza shrugged. "You'll see. I'm the best of my year at school, certainly when it comes to precision work. But then of course all the others are human."

"Yes, that does give you quite an advantage over them," Ianto agreed as he put down the tray and began pouring the tea.

Eliza took the tea and blew on it, then sipped impatiently. "You know, the first time I had tea, I'm pretty sure it burned my oesophagus," she said conversationally. "Now all of my intestines have turned immune to fierce heat. If someone ever tried to burn me at the stake, all that would be left was an intact gastrointestinal tract." She put the cup to her lips and downed it without showing any signs of pain. "Do people actually still do that?"

"I hope not," Jack said, frowning at her empty cup.

"Good tea, by the way. So, the body?"

...

Once they had convinced Eliza to put on nitrile gloves ("What are those for? Are you afraid that I'll get the body dirty? I need the _touch_.") and a lab coat (on which she didn't protest because she thought they were cool), Jack went to Ianto and sighed.

"She's tiring. Probably Gwen would be better at looking after her. Where is she?"

Ianto frowned. "She should be in by now. She's been out of town with Rhys visiting her parents, but they came home last night. Should I call her?"

"Yes, thank you, Ianto."

Ianto smiled at Jack, poured Eliza another cup of tea and went to get his phone. A moment later he returned. "She's not answering. Maybe they've overslept."

Jack nodded and stood up. "We'll call again later. Eliza?"

"This is _brilliant_," Eliza beamed as she looked up from the body. "Look! It must have been tentacles."

"No, that's where his eyes were," Jack said, pulling up an eyebrow.

"_Noho_. The things with which the eyes were taken _out_. You can't do this so properly with knives or anything. You'd hurt the eyelids, and they are perfectly fine. This was done with very thin, flexible tentacles. Both eyes were pulled out at the same time. Just a shame they did it so forcefully that the eye nerves and part of the brain came out too. Must have looked _amazing_."

Ianto turned slightly green and excused himself.

"Where's he going?" Eliza asked, frowning. Shrugging, she didn't wait for an answer and started circling the body again, then lifted one of the hands. "I think he did something wrong. He attacked the person with the tentacles in some way. Look, there's a bit of purple under his nails. I think it's from the killer's skin. Do you have a microscope here?"

"Sure," Jack nodded, waving at where it stood.

"Perfect." She plucked the bit of purple from under the nails with tweezers and put it on a glass. "Yes, it looks like it could be skin cells," she confirmed little later. "You're looking for an alien with tentacles and purple skin. Does that help you?"

"Yes... But why do you think he attacked the alien? Perhaps he scratched it in a fight," Jack said.

"He's the one who is human," Eliza shrugged. "I never said I was unbiased."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sherlock dumped his bag on the floor as soon as he was through the door, sighed dramatically and went to flop down on the sofa. "Well," he groaned. "That was a rather spectacular waste of time." He looked up at John as he entered the flat. "Tea?" he asked.

"Not_ all_ the time was wasted," John smiled, already on his way to the kitchen to put the kettle on. He was glad they were home again. The hotel bed had been a disaster for his back and neck.

"So, are you going to sulk all day?" he asked when he returned with the tea.

"Depends..." Sherlock sat up and accepted his tea.

"I can think of more interesting things than sulking," John said, sitting down close to him.

Sherlock raised a teasing eyebrow. "Please. Enlighten me."

"Cuddling, for example," John shrugged. "Or giving your boyfriend a massage because you made him lie in the wrong angle on a horrible hotel bed."

Sherlock chuckled. "'Made him lie...'? Are you saying I held you against your will? I thought you liked sleeping in my arms."

"I do, but you seemed to forget that I still _have_ my head, so you couldn't lie where it was supposed to be on the pillow," John pointed out.

"You seemed fine. Comfortable enough to snore so loudly the people in the room next to ours complained."

John poked him. "They didn't," he sulked.

"They did. Complained about yesterday too." He grinned. "Apparently they did not think it was 'that kind of place'."

"Yeah, well, you do make an _awful_ lot of noise," John grinned back. He put down his cup and snuggled closer.

"See, that's the problem with sharing your bed with the world's greatest lover. You tend to get carried away."

"You're terrible," John chuckled, placing a hand on Sherlock's cheek to kiss him.

"Terrible?" Sherlock asked pretending to be hurt. "I know my skills can't compare to yours, but still..."

"At flirting," John clarified with a smirk. "'The world's greatest lover.' Isn't that against one of your 'theorising without the facts' rules?"

"So you're saying I have insufficient data for such an estimate?"

"Yes, unless you've had sex with the rest of the world to compare, and I'm quite certain you haven't," John smirked.

"You want me to so we can know for sure?"

John pulled up his eyebrows. "You know well enough how possessive I am," he said, trailing a finger along Sherlock's neck to where the open top buttons gave access to his chest. "To remove all doubt: that means no."

A shiver ran up Sherlock's spine, caused by the words as much as by the touch. "I know," he said, his voice a little more breathy than usual, as he craned his neck away to expose more skin to John's finger.

John left his hand on Sherlock's chest and leaned in to kiss his neck. Sherlock sighed and closed his eyes, smiling.

After a while, John pulled back and licked his lips. "You know, we _do_ have a good bed."

Sherlock smiled and took his hand. "Lead the way."

John dragged him along to the bedroom, then slowly began to unbutton Sherlock's shirt, smoothing his hands over every bit of newly exposed skin. Once he had pushed it off his shoulders, he stepped closer and kissed along his collar bone, while his hands worked on getting Sherlock's trousers out of the way.

Sherlock closed his eyes and smiled as he let John undress him. He slid his hands gently up John's arms, his fingers tracing the muscles under the fabric of John's shirt. John hummed and reached up to kiss Sherlock's lips. Then he pushed his trousers down and teasingly trailed his fingertips over Sherlock's thighs.

Sherlock returned the kiss eagerly and trembled slightly at John's touch.

Eventually, John pulled back and brought his mouth to Sherlock's ear. "Get your pants off and get on the bed. I'll join you in a second," he said softly.

Sherlock gave John a quick kiss and then bent down to remove his pants before settling on the bed. John efficiently undressed himself, then lay down next to him, not yet touching, just watching.

Sherlock waited, uncharacteristically patient. "I love you," he whispered, smiling at John.

"I love you too," John answered, bringing his gaze back up from admiring Sherlock's body and slowly reaching out to stroke down his chest to his lower stomach. Sherlock placed his hand on John's cheek and leaned over to kiss him. Humming, John shifted closer until their thighs were touching, and deepened the kiss, bringing his hand back up to Sherlock's side.

Sherlock sighed as he moved his hand down to John's shoulder, pulling him even closer.

Eventually, John broke the kiss for air, and he looked into Sherlock's eyes. "I love you."

"I know." Sherlock smiled. "I love you too."

John leaned forward again, gently pushing Sherlock on his back while he started kissing his neck down to his chest.

Sherlock hummed and let his hand follow John's head, his fingers playing with his hair. Arriving at a nipple, John started licking softly, his hand splayed over Sherlock's ribs.

Sherlock squirmed a little and giggled softly. "That tickles. But don't stop."

John grinned up at him, before applying a little more pressure on his tongue. Sherlock's fingers continued playing with John's hair as the rest of his body relaxed completely.

When John was pleased with the effect on Sherlock's nipple, he turned to lick the other for a while, before he started kissing and licking down his stomach. Gently stroking Sherlock's side, he bit softly in the muscled flesh, and smiled up at Sherlock when he gasped and sighed. He mouthed the side of his cock and ran his tongue along the length of his shaft, holding Sherlock's hips. Then he pushed up his thighs and started sucking on Sherlock's balls.

Sherlock groaned. "You truly are an amazing lover," he muttered, his eyes closed.

"Now there I won't argue," John smirked, before licking another long line over the base of Sherlock's cock. He pressed his tongue against the head and curled his hand around him, lower, before he gently guided him deeper into his mouth.

Sherlock's hands curled into the sheets and his hips pushed gently upwards, wanting more of John. John started bobbing his head, licking and sucking greedily, but just not giving Sherlock enough. When Sherlock eventually tensed beneath him, he pulled off to keep the other from coming, and soothingly stroked his stomach. "I want to fuck you."

Sherlock nodded. "God yes..."

John moved upwards and lazily kissed him. "You look so beautiful, so completely undone..." He softly stroked his neck, then leaned over to take the lube.

"It's all thanks to you," Sherlock muttered, feeling slightly dazed.

John sweetly kissed his temple, then lubed his fingers and pushed two into Sherlock's hole, more to check if he was ready than anything else. He didn't tease him for too long and pulled out again, then lubed his own cock and smoothly pressed in. "Ah," he sighed. "You feel marvellous."

Sherlock moaned. "Yes... Just... Fuck me..." He rolled his hips pushing down against John, being too worked up to take things slowly.

John leaned forward to kiss him and started thrusting slowly but steadily, placing his left hand lightly around Sherlock's cock.

Sherlock kissed him eagerly, moving his hips to match John's thrusts, taking him deep.

John groaned and sped up, sucking almost desperately on Sherlock's tongue.

Sherlock arched his back. "I'm not going to last long... if you... continue... like... that..."

John smirked and continued exactly like that, moaning at the feeling of Sherlock tensing around him.

"Fuck..." Sherlock chuckled breathlessly. A few moments later it became too much and his muscles clenched around John as he spilled between them.

"Oh, god," John breathed, his whole body trembling, but not yet there. He held as still as possible and nuzzled Sherlock's face through his orgasm. "Do you want me to pull out?"

"No..." Sherlock shook his head, panting. "Just... keep going..."

John kissed his cheek. "Tell me when it's getting too much." He settled on a slow rhythm again, that made his eyes roll back in pleasure.

"With you," Sherlock moaned, wincing a little. "It'll never be too much."

John kissed him softly. "Sherlock... God..." He wasn't able to hold himself back and with a few fierce thrusts he was coming, clinging to Sherlock while he was moaning his name.

Sherlock gasped and pulled John in for a deep long kiss.

John answered the kiss, but eventually needed to pull back with a gasp for air. "God, I love you," he panted, gently pulling out and laying his head on Sherlock's shoulder to catch his breath.

"I love you too," Sherlock muttered, wrapping an arm around John's shoulder and closing his eyes, feeling pleasantly exhausted.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Jack," Ianto called from across the Hub, as he rushed towards Jack and Eliza. "I just talked to Rhys. Gwen left for work four hours ago."  
Time had slipped away from them as Jack and Eliza studied the eyeless corpse and discussed perpetrators and motives, while Ianto had busied himself trying not to hear too much. He didn't mind the gory details. After all he had been with Torchwood for years. But something about Eliza's level of fascination unsettled him.

Jack frowned and his mouth became a thin line. "Is there nowhere where she could have gone first?"

"For four hours? She has no life outside of Torchwood, except with Rhys. And if it was work related, don't you think she would have called in?"

"I know. Try to call her again. If she doesn't answer, contact the police to ask if they know something." Jack bit his lip.

"I hope your friend isn't dead, but can I have her corpse if she is?" Eliza asked politely.

Jack glared at her. "She isn't dead."

"But if..."

Ianto hurried off to make the call.

...

"Anything?" Jack asked when Ianto returned.

"Nothing... It's like she's just vanished. Even her car is gone."

Jack sighed. "Damn. Okay. Check CCTV and rift activity in the last 5 hours. I'll come and help in a second. Eliza, clean up here and put the body away - I will notice if you steal something and then you go back to the cell."

Eliza nodded, pouting a little.

"You don't happen to have a degree in finding people, do you?" Jack asked her.

"No. I think that that's what detectives are for," she shrugged, turning to collect the tools she had used for the post-mortem.

Ianto set to work, but soon despaired. Absolutely nothing. He easily located the footage of Gwen leaving her home. He could follow her about half way to the Hub. And then, between two cameras, she was just gone. No rift activity at that time, but at least they knew the approximate time and place of her disappearance.

Jack groaned when Ianto reported to him. "It can never be easy, can it? Get the car out. We'll have a look at the place where she disappeared."

They decided to take Eliza with them, to make sure she didn't do anything wrong in the Hub. Unfortunately, the trip was completely useless. Skimming out the whole environment of the spot where Gwen hadn't shown up again, they didn't find anything that could help them any further.

Ianto sighed. "What could have happened to her? What can we do?"

"Maybe we should consult Sherlock Holmes... After all this is his job. We've taken his case, so he'll have time to help us," Jack said thoughtfully.

"Oh, the man with the interesting brain?" Eliza brightened up.

"That arrogant toff?" Ianto huffed. "He's a 'detective'. It's not like we're looking for stolen jewellery or a missing dog. What does he know of the things we deal with here?"

"He's better than the police, Ianto," Jack said, putting a hand on the other man's arm. "We need to find Gwen. Who knows what danger she is in. I can't lose anyone else."

Ianto bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he nodded. "If you really think he can help."

...

John was still lying half on top of Sherlock with his eyes closed, not quite sleeping anymore, but enjoying the warmth and calmness of the other man. They had taken an unusually long nap, and even now they were both awake, Sherlock was still happy to just lazily cuddle with him. It was somewhat surprising after all his frustration from losing the case, but then it had been an extremely good shag too.

Of course, the peace couldn't last long. John groaned as the phone rang and reluctantly rolled off Sherlock to find it.

Sherlock groaned and pulled the pillow over his head. "Whoever it is, I'm not home."

Soon, John was back, a serious expression on his face. "It was Captain Jack Harkness. One of his people is missing and they don't have a clue where she is. They're asking for your help..."

"What? The prat in the coat?" Sherlock lifted the pillow long enough to frown at John. "I don't think so." Then he covered his head again and pretended to go to sleep.

"Sherlock..." John sat down on his knees on the mattress next to him. "Come on. You don't have a case and he's offering you one, a good one by the sound of it. And he really sounded worried."

"I don't want to," Sherlock muttered under the pillow, trying to find a way to say 'and I don't like him', that wouldn't sound as childish as 'he stole my case'.

John gave the pillow a look. "Of course you do. Don't be so stubborn. You'll be whining that you're bored in ten minutes."

Sherlock groaned. "Do we have to go somewhere?"

"Cardiff," John answered, getting up to find fresh clothes for himself and Sherlock.

"No way," Sherlock rolled over onto his stomach, still managing to keep his head covered. "I'm not going to bloody Cardiff to help some arrogant anachronism who's lost one of his cronies." Then he lifted the pillow and glanced at John. "Is it kid in the suit?"

"No, a woman. Gwen Cooper, I think he called her. Does it change anything whom he's lost?" John undisturbedly continued throwing clothes on his side of the bed.

"No. I'm still not going." Sherlock pulled the pillow down again. "Could you throw a blanket or something over me?" he muttered. "I'm cold."

"You could get dressed," John said, pulling his own pants up.

"Why would I get dressed when I'm not planning on getting out of this bed any time today?"

John sighed. "Because you're cold, and it's no use tucking you in, because in 5 minutes you're jumping out of bed because there's nothing to do in there."

"You could join me. I could do you." Sherlock fumbled for the sheet to pull it over himself. "It would keep me warm too."

"But I'm going to Cardiff," John pointed out.

"Without me?" Sherlock lifted the pillow again and looked at him. "You wouldn't."

"No, that's why you're coming along," John smirked, pulling a jumper over his head. "A mystery, Sherlock! Harkness can't have hurt your pride _that_ much."

"This has got nothing to do with pride," Sherlock protested as he threw the pillow to the floor and rolled onto his back. "I just don't like him. He's like Mycroft, except he's... charming..."

John pulled up his eyebrow. "I never thought I would ever hear you say the words 'Mycroft' and 'charming' in one sentence."

"Didn't you notice the word 'except' separating the two?" Sherlock chuckled and sat up.

John grinned. "I don't think he's like Mycroft. He looked a lot more... active."

"Well, that isn't really hard, is it?" Sherlock stretched lazily. "If Mycroft was anymore inactive he'd be a piece of furniture. A smug, annoying, manipulative piece of furniture."

"A huge umbrella stand, most probably," John nodded.

Sherlock snorted and got to his feet. "Fine, let's go see what's baffled this charming, active, non-furniture not-quite-Mycroft."

Reluctantly he got dressed and began repacking his bag. They had only just gotten home. Couldn't Captain Full-of-himself have waited a couple of days before misplacing his employee?

...

Sherlock was actually getting excited about having a new case. But he was not ready to admit it, as he shouldered his bag and led the way off the train.

Ianto stood waiting on the platform. When he saw them, he walked forward, holding out his hand. "Mr. Holmes," he said. "We're so glad you have agreed to help us."

Sherlock kept his expression blank as he shook the offered hand, but Ianto didn't seem to notice, as he turned to John and nodded. "Dr. Watson."

"Mr... Jones was it, right?" John greeted him friendly. "Thank you for picking us up."

Ianto nodded. "Of course. Our headquarters are not exactly easy to find." He motioned towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Sherlock huffed and strode off, without waiting for the others.

"Headquarters? What exactly is it that Torchwood does?" John asked curiously, walking next to Ianto.

Ianto shrugged. "We work for the government. Sort of. We deal with the things that others... can't. Jack will explain it."

"Do you work for Mycroft Holmes?" John asked, a little amused.

Ianto chuckled. "He wish..." Then he cleared his throat. "No. Torchwood is independent. But we have worked with him on a few occasions."

Sherlock visibly relaxed and actually smiled at the young man.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jack looked up when he heard Ianto enter with their guests. "Ah, welcome, gentlemen. Thank you for coming here to help us. I'm sorry we started off on the wrong foot, Mr. Holmes." He reached out his hand to Sherlock with a small smirk.

Eliza, who had been absorbed in something she had been reading on one of the computers, turned around with a jolt when she heard Sherlock's name and beamed.

Sherlock's smile was more than a little stiff as he shook Jack's hand. He glanced at Eliza. "At least you keep the potentially unstable suspect under secure conditions," he said, not even bothering to make the irony in his voice subtle.

Jack chuckled. "Yes, we do."

"Can I look at his brain now?" Eliza asked enthusiastically.

Ianto stepped in and took Eliza by the arm. "Not right now," he said. "He needs it for helping us." He led her towards the archives. "Come on. Let's take a look at the records to see which of our specimens you would like to examine first."

John pulled up his eyebrows as he watched them go. "Wasn't there someone missing? What do we need to know?"

Sherlock didn't take his eyes off Jack. "What is this place?" he asked.

"Torchwood. I take it Ianto hasn't told you what we do, in public. Since you are Mr. Government Himself's brother – though you look a lot better, of course –" Jack gave Sherlock an appreciative look from head to toe and back – "we think it safe to tell you, and we trust that you and Captain Watson won't blab. What we do, is monitoring alien life on earth. We protect people from the aliens that might pose a danger, and we find the peaceful aliens that got lost here and give them a better, safer life."

"Right. Thank you for wasting our time." Sherlock turned to John with a sigh. "Can we go home now?"

"Wait, what? Did you just say aliens?" John frowned.

"I did," Jack said. "Even if you two don't believe me, which I can understand, although there's enough proof in this place -" he nodded in the direction where Ianto had led Eliza - "there's still one of us missing. She's human, if that helps."

Sherlock tugged at John's sleeve. "He's having you on. Logic shows that..." He stopped and stared at something over and a little to the left of John. "Is that a... Is that a...?" He paled and staggered a little.

"A pterodactyl, yes," Jack grinned. Ah, Ianto was good. "We call it Myfanwy. Not really an alien, of course, but it also got through the rift."

Sherlock gaped at the flying dinosaur. "Through... Through the what?"

"Didn't one of us have a website saying that when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? Well, there you have it," Jack smirked.

John stared. "Isn't it dangerous to keep a dinosaur indoors?"

"It won't attack as long as it isn't attacked," Jack assured him.

Suddenly Ianto appeared at Sherlock's side. He pressed a large cup of tea into his hand and with a hand on his arm steered him towards the large setup of computer monitors. "The rift is a kind of wormhole that regularly coughs up various 'space debris' here in Cardiff. And sometimes more. Let me show you." He shot Jack a be-nice glare over his shoulder.

...

Soon, Jack and Ianto had shown the two others enough evidence to make the reason for Torchwood's existence clear. Time was passing too fast, and Jack began to feel even more uncomfortable about Gwen's disappearance. "Now we have finally clarified what we do, do you think it worth your time to find our colleague?" he asked, trying to sound patient towards John, who was staring into his tea cup.

"Right. I suppose that we take the case then, Sherlock?" John asked, a little uncertain.

Sherlock turned around and flashed both of them his most brilliant smile. "We most certainly do." He got to his feet. "John, I need you to check all records kept by Ms Cooper. And I need to visit the site of her disappearance."

"I'll take you there," Jack nodded.

"Mr. Jones, could you help me find what I need?" John asked, looking at all the computers with a small hint of despair in his eyes.

Ianto nodded and led John to Gwen's terminal, where he began bringing up the relevant files. He glanced nervously at the two other men as they were leaving.

"Everything alright?" John asked, following Ianto's gaze.

Ianto nodded. "Yes, fine." He focused on the screen. "I sure hope you can help us."

"So do I. From what you just told us, I gather that a missing person is a lot more worrying than normally... But Sherlock will solve it," John said.

"He's really good at what he does, isn't he?" Ianto opened a file. "This is the last thing Gwen was working on."

"Thank you. By the way, you make a great cup of tea." John gave him a quick smile and started reading.

...

"Your carriage," Jack said to Sherlock, waving towards the black jeep. "I hope you've recovered from the alien shock."

Sherlock's smile was only a little strained as he got in. "No point in fighting such incontrovertible proof," he said. "But it does put many things in a new perspective."

"It's never bad to have a fresh look on things," Jack said, getting into the car.

"Indeed," Sherlock studied the man. There was something intriguingly unreadable about him. "You're American," he stated.

"Even aliens without much knowledge on Earth geography got that far. I expected you to get further in your deductions," Jack smiled, starting the car.

Sherlock huffed. "You are also convinced that you know more than anyone else."

"Close, but not entirely true. I've just seen a little more than most, but I am certain that there are men a lot smarter and more experienced than me."

"You've been to war. But not in the Middle East." Sherlock was getting frustrated. There really was something odd about this man. Apart from being a smug condescending prat.

"To more than one," Jack answered, his expression becoming more serious.

Sherlock smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "As a mercenary? Or something to do with Torchwood?"

"Both, and more," Jack answered, focusing on the road a little more pointedly.

Sherlock decided that this was definitely worth exploring later, but he'd better get to work. "Tell me about Ms Cooper. How long has she worked for Torchwood? What kind of work does she usually do?"

"A little over two years. She does the same as we do," Jack shrugged. "Got experience as a policewoman, so she's good at working in the field."

Sherlock considered for a moment. "But unlike you, she's got a life outside of Torchwood."

Jack gave Sherlock an amused look, before he looked forward again. "I'm perfectly happy with my life inside Torchwood. It's not all alien related what we do there... But yes, Gwen is married. She had a few days off to visit her family, but we expected her back today, and on the CCTV we saw her leave for work at the normal hour."

Sherlock chuckled. "Oh, I'm not criticising. I too find no need to go beyond my work to find satisfaction." He smiled. This had become so much more true, ever since John had become such an integral part of his 'work'. "I just need to explore all possibilities, no matter how unlikely it is that her disappearance is not connected to her job at Torchwood."

Jack nodded. "Still, I doubt that her family can make her disappear completely from the CCTV footage within a few minutes time."

Sherlock couldn't help but chuckle. "That depends on your family," he said with a smirk.

"Unless she's secretly your and Mycroft's sister," Jack admitted with a nod and a wide grin.

"Quite right. I suppose I am one of few who is... blessed... with such influential family connections."

"What a blessing. Is he _always_ that meddlesome?" Jack asked.

"Well, I do not know the particulars of your experiences with him, but I'm tempted to say he can be even worse."

Jack chuckled. Soon, they arrived at the place where Gwen had disappeared. "Well, time for some deduction magic," he said as he parked and stopped the motor.

Sherlock got out and looked around. "This is where she was last caught on camera?"

"Yes," Jack nodded, standing next to him. "We didn't find any clues, but I hope you can."

"Show me the route she would most likely have taken from here."

"That way," Jack pointed, following Sherlock.

Sherlock set off down the street, his eyes darting everywhere, taking in every detail, his mind quickly dispensing with everything immaterial.  
Then he stopped and smiled.  
"Does she drive a small blue car?"

Jack frowned. "Yes, she does. What did you see?"

Sherlock pointed down a narrow alley where the front end of a small blue car was just visible behind a large overflowing skip.

Jack's expression darkened and he ran towards the car. "I can't believe we missed this. Why is it standing here? Where did she go?"

"And how did it get here?" Sherlock added as he followed him, examining the alley which was obviously too narrow and cluttered for even such a small car to navigate.

"Either someone is a hell of a driver, or they have access to teleportation," Jack mused.

Sherlock shook his head. "Your line of work really brings a whole new range of possibilities into the picture. Is there anything that is actually impossible?"

Jack sighed. "Probably, but I can't immediately think of an example."

"You mentioned teleportation. How about levitation? Miniaturisation? Duplication?"

"In theory, those are all possible. Teleportation is just the most probable, because more aliens have that ability, as far as we know. The car should have been levitated rather high, and someone could have seen a car dangling high up in the air. And if it were a duplicate, then where would the other one be?"

"I see." Sherlock knelt down in front of the car and examined the ground. "This is odd. See how there is no dirt or debris on the ground under the car?"

Jack nodded. "What do you think that means?"

Sherlock shrugged and then went to the side of the car and looked through the window. "Interesting," he said and tried the door. It opened with a soft click.

"Key's still on it. And the rest of the car seems completely unharmed," Jack said.

"Yes. But what about that?" Sherlock pointed to a watch, a necklace and a pair of earrings lying in the driver's seat.

"They wanted her, just her. Everything of value had to stay undamaged and be returned to the finders. But why?" Jack brought the jewels up in his hand with a puzzled look.

"Everything of value, or..." Sherlock crouched down and searched the floor in front of the seat. He brought up two odd twisted strands of wire. "Everything metal..."

Jack frowned. "I can't immediately think of a species that is afraid of metal. I'll ask Ianto to look it up as soon as possible."

Sherlock smiled at him, only a little overbearing. "Or maybe their teleportation device has a setting for transporting only organic material. They didn't want the car, obviously."

Jack looked surprised for a moment and then grinned widely. "You _are_ good."

"But does it help us?" Sherlock turned to face him. "It proves there is an extraterrestrial force behind the... abduction," he smiled wryly, "but will it help us determine who?"

"We know that they are capable of sophisticated teleportation and that valuable objects don't mean anything to them, or they would have taken them too. At least we have _something_ to go on now," Jack answered.

Sherlock nodded. "But this wasn't a random capture either. They didn't just want a human. They wanted her specifically."

Jack nodded slowly. "So it's a species that has a problem with Torchwood."

"I'm sure that narrows it down."

"Certainly. On the other hand, I don't have the feeling that we have insulted anyone of late," Jack said.

Sherlock nodded. "Fair point. So I suppose now it's back to your headquarters to research known teleportation devices and whom you might have pissed off lately. Besides me."

Jack chuckled. "Come on, I'll drive you back."

Sherlock smiled. "Do we just leave the car here? That is, I'm not sure how we'd get it out, but still..."

"We'll take care of it later," Jack said. "Finding Gwen is more important."

Sherlock nodded. "Let's get back then."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Ianto put a fresh cup of tea in front of John. "Find anything useful?" he asked.

"I don't know," John answered, frowning at the screen. "It says here that she managed to catch the Chukh who made all those trains disappear, a few weeks ago... Couldn't it have something to do with this disappearance?"

"They didn't exactly make them disappear, more like snatched them right off the tracks, deposited the passengers and crew in a nearby cornfield and flew off with them in tow." Ianto chuckled at the memory. "Quite spectacular but not exactly a mystery."

John laughed. "Yes, alright, that doesn't sound like they would suddenly use a subtle way to kidnap someone."

Eliza came to sit next to them. "I've dissected him, it was really interesting. Now when does Pretty Brain come back?"

She had hardly finished her sentence when Jack's laughter was heard, and a moment later he and Sherlock walked in.

"So I told him: 'Not if you want to keep it in working condition.' He was not happy," Sherlock finished his story, grinning at Jack. Then he turned to John. "Did you learn anything?"

John's eyes wandered between Sherlock and Jack for a moment. Well, there was a change. "Not really," he answered Sherlock's question. "You probably did?"

The smirk Jack showed at that, was a little unnerving to say the least.

"Well," Sherlock shrugged. "Not much. We determined that it was indeed a case of alien abduction and that those behind it have a device capable of matter-specific teleportation." He turned to Ianto. "Does that sound familiar in any way?"  
Ianto frowned. "Does not ring a bell, but I'll look into it." He took Eliza gently by the wrist. "You're coming with me," he said as he headed off to the archives.

"Why?" Eliza asked with a small pout, looking back at Sherlock.

"Because I need your help, of course," Ianto lied, winking at her.  
Sherlock turned to Jack. "So, should we get to work on compiling a list of the species and factions most likely to hold a grudge against Torchwood?"

Jack nodded and turned to one of the computers.

...

To John's surprise, the two men were quite efficient in working together, and had grown a lot closer in the little time that they were gone. "Uhm, anything I can do?" he asked as Jack had gone off to find something in his office. He gave Sherlock an amused, somewhat questioning look.

"No, we're fine." Sherlock smiled at him and reached out to give his hand a quick squeeze. "Unless you could get Jones to make us some more tea."

John shook his head lightly and gave Sherlock a quick kiss on his lips. "I'm glad you get along with the arrogant anachronism. I'll go have a look what Ianto and Eliza are up to."

Sherlock nodded and focused back on the screen. Then as he heard Jack approach, he looked up with a smile. The man might be a little full of himself, but on further acquaintance, Sherlock had found him to be both interesting and easy to work with.

"Move, unless you want me to sit in your lap," Jack grinned, motioning at the position where Sherlock was sitting after turning towards John.

Sherlock laughed. "Oh. Am I in your seat, Captain? Well, excuse me." He moved over, still chuckling.

"No problem. It's not as if I'm opposed to the idea," Jack smirked, focusing on the screen again.

"Oh..." Sherlock blushed a little, then shrugged and leaned closer, so that he could see the screen too.

Jack sighed. "The teleportation skill doesn't really narrow the options down."

Sherlock shook his head. "On the contrary, it rules out quite a lot of species. It just doesn't point clearly to any of those left under suspicion. But it's still a great help." He straightened up. "I'm going to need a wall, some Post-Its and Blu-tack. And Jack," he leaned in again, reaching over the shoulder of the other man to point at the screen, "could you be a darling and print out everything about this group here? Both general information and their history with Torchwood."

Jack pulled up an eyebrow, but started printing. "Ianto will give you what you need. Why haven't they returned anyway? Do you think Eliza is dissecting them? I thought she only had eyes for you." He chuckled.

Sherlock grinned, feeling a little lightheaded and giddy from all the new wonderful mysteries piling up in front of him. "Can you blame her?" he said with a wink.

"Not at all," Jack grinned.

...

Soon, Ianto and John were back, having left Eliza with another corpse, and Sherlock was supplied with everything he needed to get to work.

Sherlock immediately started creating an intricate mind map of prints and notes on the largest available vertical surface, ordering the other three about indiscriminately.

Soon, Eliza was back as well.

"That was a quick post-mortem," John remarked.

She shrugged. "It wasn't really urgent anyway. She didn't have many special features, I had already seen everything before. And you know. I prefer to see Pretty Brain working. It will tell me more once I get to see the anatomy of it."

John frowned, but decided to trust Ianto with distracting her enough to not let that happen. At least she had calmed down a little now.

Sherlock smiled at her briefly in passing as he was headed for the pile of unsorted prints that pertained to cases in which the actual race had not been identified.

Eliza grinned and followed him. "Can _I_ help you? I'm smarter than the rest of them," she said with a wave at the others.

"I don't doubt it," Sherlock said. "But I don't need smart right now, I need strong." He turned to Jack and held up some papers. "These files mention confiscated artifacts. A lot of them. I need to see them."

Jack nodded. "Ianto, show Captain Watson the archives and bring all the objects Mr. Holmes wants to see."

Sherlock smiled gratefully as he shrugged off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and began comparing the unidentified cases to the species already up on the wall.

Ianto frowned at the appreciative grin spreading on Jack's face as he watched the detective at work. Then he turned to John. "This way, Doctor," he said.

"Just call me John," the doctor smiled at Ianto, following him. "They seem to get along quite a lot better," he remarked once the others couldn't hear it.

Ianto sighed. "Yes, I've noticed. I expect Jack will be making his move soon."

John pulled up his eyebrow. "His _move_? I hope you don't mean..." He cleared his throat. "Sherlock won't be interested."

"Oh, Jack does not care if he is gay or not, once he's set his sights on him. And he can be very persuasive." Ianto chuckled dryly. "_Very_ persuasive."

"I don't mean that Sherlock isn't gay. I mean he's loyal." John pressed his lips together.

"Loyal?" Ianto looked at him, then his face lit up. "Oh, you mean...?" He chuckled. "Well, maybe Jack will find himself thwarted for once."

"I may hope so," John said, a grim expression clouding his smile. "So, what kind of artefacts do you have here?"

Ianto paused. "I would tell him to back off, if I thought it would help." He put a sympathetic hand on John's shoulder. "But yes. He does seem loyal, your detective." He smiled and then turned towards the room. "I think it would be easier to answer what kinds of artefact we don't have here. The answer would probably be 'None'." He moved down the rows of shelves. "But the ones we're looking for, are those related to transgressions involving teleportation." He turned a corner. "Down here."

...

"Sherlock, have a look at this. We found a corpse, a few days ago, and Eliza told us that the alien who stole its eyes must have had tentacles. This species has tentacles and is capable of teleportation. What do you think?" Jack pointed at one of the files.

Sherlock whirled around and rushed over. His hair was a complete mess from the uncountable times he had already run his fingers through it in excitement. "Let me see," he said, taking the file. "Yes. Currently active species... teleportation technology... but no previous direct interaction with Torchwood." He grinned at Jack. "Someone you haven't managed to make an impression on yet?"

"At least not actively," Jack smiled. "I'm glad that means that I've made the right impression on the only consulting detective in the world."

Sherlock chuckled. "_An_ impression certainly. Still not sure if it's the right one. There's something about you, Captain, that I just can't figure out."

Jack chuckled and stepped closer. "I could let you investigate me quite closely," he smirked.

Sherlock frowned briefly, then smiled. "I'm sure that would be very interesting. But maybe we should focus on the missing Ms Cooper first, before I give you my undivided attention."

Jack grinned. "Of course you're right. Ah, there we have our strong men with their attributes."

John gave him an unimpressed look. "Where shall we put everything, Sherlock?"

Sherlock motioned to the coffee table as he turned to the wall, searching for an appropriate spot for the tentacle-alien file.  
As Ianto put his box down he attempted one of his meaningful, but rarely effective, glares at Jack.

Jack grinned back at Ianto and went to stand next to him, unpacking one of the larger teleportation devices they had found long ago. "Why are you looking like that?" he asked cheerily.

Ianto frowned. "Can I ask you something, Captain?"

"Of course, go ahead. But remember that we _are_ in the middle of finding Gwen."

"Not that kind of question, Sir." Ianto sighed. "I was just wondering: would the fact that someone is already quite spoken for, make you more or less likely to pursue them? Or wouldn't it make a difference either way?"

Jack frowned. "I guess that would depend on what the other wants. Why? Did you just get engaged to Captain Watson?" he asked in mock earnest.

"No. But he and Mr. Holmes are together. So don't get too carried away." Ianto sighed, knowing it wouldn't make much difference if Jack managed to convince himself the detective was interested. Resisting a creature like that was really beyond what could be expected of Jack.

"Interesting," Jack grinned. Now that information created a lot of new possibilities. "Could you get us some coffee, dear Ianto?"

Ianto's sigh was almost painful. "Of course ... Sir." He headed off to the kitchen.

Jack's gaze softened for a moment, then he got up and brought the device to Sherlock.

Sherlock turned to him, an eager gleam in his eyes. "Now I bet you can show me how to work this thing, right?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

For a few hours, Sherlock worked on investigating the teleportation devices, mainly with Jack's help. Now and then, John and Ianto shared a somewhat worried look when the two other men's joking around started to look a lot like flirting. Eliza on the other hand just sat where she was, now and then sipping from a cup of tea if Ianto supplied her with one, a dreamy look on her face as she watched Sherlock.

"Actually, you're doing it wrong," she said as Jack had started on explaining the last of the devices, waking up from her trance of admiration. "You have to hold it in the other direction, otherwise it'll never work."

Jack frowned and looked up at her.

"Don't worry about it. I also did it wrong at first, it _does_ look more logical that way. But it won't work," Eliza shrugged.

Sherlock put a hand on Jack's arm. "Need a break, Captain?" he asked, chuckling. "Have I been working you too hard?"  
He was enjoying himself thoroughly, but experience, and John, had taught him that very few people were able to keep up with him in the long run.

Jack gave him a look. "You're a terrible tease, Mr. Holmes. If you want, we could take a break in a minute, but I don't really need it - I can go on for hours." He winked.

"Oh, I'm only just hitting my stride." Sherlock grinned. "And please, no more 'Mr Holmes'. That's my brother. Just call me Sherlock."

Ianto, who had been watching them from the sofa, abruptly got to his feet and began clearing away the abundance of empty cups abandoned on every available surface.  
"Seriously now, Eliza..." Jack said. "Are you telling me that your species has teleportation devices?"

Eliza nodded. "Of course. Don't you? Daddy has one almost exactly like the one you're holding."

Sherlock turned to Eliza. "Can you show me, then?"

"Of course," she said with a brilliant smile, jumping up. "Look, you hold it like this, and then you just press here and here..." Suddenly she was standing on the other side of the sofa, grinning widely. "Wow, I didn't even realise it was that simple! I don't have my teleportation license yet, so it could as well have exploded when I did that."

She ran back to Sherlock, who raised an eyebrow. "Show me again?"

Eliza looked a little disappointed. "Surely you got it the first time, with that brain of yours!"

"He just wants to be sure that he doesn't make the thing explode," John said, giving Sherlock a quick look to make clear that explosions were a bad idea.

"Alright then," she said with a little pout, quickly pressing the same buttons and reappearing in the kitchen. "Hmm, I was aiming for the sofa again. Hi, Ianto!"

Ianto jumped in surprise and dropped three cups into the sink with a loud clatter. "Jesus. Where did you come from?"

"Teleport," Eliza smiled. "Obviously. You're very nice, but not quite as bright as Pretty Brain, hmm?" She skipped out of the kitchen, back to the others. "Do you get it now?" she asked Sherlock, pushing the device into his hands.

Sherlock glanced at John before pushing the buttons. A fraction of a second later, he found himself in Jack's office. He laughed as he walked to the door and looked down at the others. "Can I keep this?" he called.

"I'm afraid not, but as long as you're at the Hub, you can teleport yourself into my office any time," Jack called back.

John glared at him.

"Well done!" Eliza beamed.

Sherlock laughed and teleported himself back down. "You should try this John," he said, beaming.

"Why did you teleport _there_?" John mumbled.

"It was within line of sight, but far enough to make it interesting," Sherlock answered with a shrug.

"I don't know if it's a good idea if someone else tries it, though," Eliza said quickly. "It works on the mind, and most humans wouldn't be strong enough to focus their thoughts enough on the place where they want the device to send them."

John huffed and Sherlock turned to Eliza. "Can it only teleport the operator?" he asked. "Or could I move Ianto in here if I wanted to?"

"I think that would be possible," Eliza nodded. "But I don't see why you would want that, since he hasn't finished the tea yet, and also I don't know how it works to do that."

"Oh, okay." Sherlock frowned. He examined the device more closely. "I wonder what this does," he muttered as he pressed a button.

"Watch your eyebrows!" Eliza called just in time, as the device began to spit long red flames up in the air.

"Bloody hell," John said, jumping back and covering his eyes from the fierce light.

"That's for when someone needs to find you after a teleportation. The flames are visible from miles away," Eliza explained. "I have no idea how to put it off. Be careful with pressing buttons."

Sherlock put the device down. "Right." He said. "Maybe we should see if we could get our hands on a manual before experimenting any more."

"We didn't find anything like a manual with it," Jack said. "Probably it has a help function inside, but we'd need a manual to find that."

He looked at Eliza, but she shrugged, shaking her head. "Told you. Didn't get my teleportation license."

"Alright, that device is a lot of fun, but did we actually get any closer to finding Ms Cooper?" John asked.

Sherlock smiled at him. "I gained some actual first-hand experience with teleportation. I doubt that was a complete waste of time." He turned to look at Jack. "It would seem this device is used by Eliza's species. Is there any way of contacting more mature creatures to learn more?"

"Oy, I'm not a _child_ just because I didn't have time yet to learn everything about the complicated matter of teleportation," Eliza protested, crossing her arms.

"Of course not. You can help us," Jack told her. "How do you contact your family?"

"I don't," Eliza shrugged. "They always contact me. Annoyingly often. That's always embarrassing on a day when I haven't learned much. Fortunately I'm very good, so they don't have much reason to be disappointed."

Ianto reappeared, carrying a tray with five fresh cups of tea. "Is anyone hungry?" he asked. "Should I order pizza?"  
Sherlock shook his head and wandered off, lost in thought.

"Actually I am rather hungry," John said. "Pizza would be great."

Ianto smiled and nodded, then turned to Jack. "Sir?"

"Yes, please," Jack nodded.

...

After they had eaten, John excused himself and went to find Sherlock, who was sitting on the floor in Jack's office. "Hey. There's a bit of pizza left if you want," he said, sitting down next to him. "There's a reason why people invented chairs, you know."

Sherlock smiled and leaned over, resting his head on John's shoulder. "I know," he said. "But sometimes I think better like this. And there's so much to think about with this case. It's like the whole world has gotten a hundred times bigger in a matter of hours."

John smiled and kissed his hair. "Make sure your head doesn't explode from all that. Eliza would be greatly disappointed. Even she is taking a nap now. It's getting late."

He frowned. "It is? How long have we been here?"

"Hours," John shrugged, leaning closer. "It's almost early again. Let's go find a hotel room and take a nap."

Sherlock pouted slightly. "I don't need a nap," he said. "I'm working."

"I need one, and I'm not leaving you here alone with Jack," John said. "I trust you, but I don't trust _him_."

"What do you mean you don't trust him? You can't seriously be suggesting that he is somehow involved in the disappearance of Ms Cooper."

John actually burst out laughing. "God, no. You can't be saying that you haven't noticed how he's flirting with you all the time."

Sherlock frowned. "Flirting? Don't be ridiculous. We work well together, that's all."

John gave him a look. "Ianto told me that Jack is flirting all the time. He's got his eye on you, Mr. Observant. So if you don't mind, I'd like to properly reclaim what is mine and we can't do that here."

Sherlock jumped to his feet. "Right," he said with a grin. "Hotel room. Do you think Ianto could recommend some place?"

"Most probably." John grinned and followed him out the office.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As they descended the stairs, Sherlock took John's hand and gave it a small squeeze.  
"We were wondering," he said to the others, "if you could recommend a hotel. Preferably one not too far from here."  
Ianto smiled and relaxed visibly at the sight of them. "Of course," he said, getting out his phone. "Why don't I get you a room?"

"Thank you, that would be great," John said with a smile.

"Ah, no luck for me then tonight," Jack grinned at Sherlock.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow and looked at John. Then he turned to Jack. "Guess not," he said flatly.  
Ianto scribbled down the address of the hotel. "It's only five minutes by foot," he said. "Or I could drive you?"

"Walking is fine," John said. "Some fresh air will do us good."

"Goodnight then." Jack smiled.

Sherlock nodded to them both, before wrapping his arm around John's shoulders and leading him out of the Hub.  
Ianto slipped up behind Jack and put his hands on his shoulders. "It's been a long day, Sir," he said as he began massaging them.

Jack smiled and nodded, watching Sherlock's back until the two other men had disappeared out of sight, before he turned around to lay his arms around Ianto's waist. "We still don't have Gwen back. I hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she is, Sir." Ianto said, moving his hands down to Jack's hips. "You didn't seem to worry too much about her earlier though. When you were working with Holmes."

Jack gave him a small smile. "It wouldn't have helped us forward. It was better to get some fun out of the work while we were making progress. It's only when we aren't doing anything that worry gets a chance to creep in." He exhaled slowly, his eyes resting on Ianto's lips. "I guess I'll need a distraction before I'm able to sleep. If you want."

Ianto smirked. "Indeed, Sir," he purred. "I was planning on bending you over your desk and distracting you quite thoroughly."

Jack smiled and caught Ianto's lips in a lingering kiss that became more hungry as they carried on.

Ianto steered Jack towards the stairs. Then he broke the kiss, only to turn him around and push him up towards the office. "Desk," he whispered in his ear. "Now."

"God, I love it when you take charge," Jack laughed breathlessly, hurrying to get upstairs and getting out of his clothes on the way.

Ianto followed more slowly, a smug grin spreading across his face as he unbuttoned his jacket and waistcoat.

Jack turned around in front of the desk, pulling Ianto towards him by his wrists to kiss him again.

Ianto returned the kiss hungrily, then pulled back enough to mutter: "Turn and bend, Sir." He kissed him again before adding: "Please."

Jack smirked and slowly turned around, leaning over on the desk and presenting his arse.

Ianto slid his hands possessively down Jacks back and then grabbed him by the hips, pulling him back slightly. "Beautiful," he commented before positioning himself and pushing in slowly.

Jack groaned, pushing back on his hands. "Ah, Ianto," he sighed when the other had pushed completely in.

"Just what you needed. Right, Jack?" Ianto purred as he began thrusting slowly.

Jack made a small sound and bent further forward, resting his forehead on his arm.

Ianto smiled as he got a better grip on Jack's hips and pulled him back into the thrusts. Then he leaned down and muttered into Jacks's ear: "Remember... Sir... If you mess up your desk, you're cleaning it. But if you can contain yourself, I'll take care of you when I'm done." He bit Jack's shoulder softly and began moving faster.

Jack moaned and moved back in the rhythm of Ianto's thrusts. Shifting a little, he bent one arm under him to take hold of his cock, not knowing if he wanted to come or wait, just gasping as Ianto moved more forcefully.

Ianto closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the feeling and sounds of Jack. Then he felt the tension inside him begin to build and with a renewed grip on Jack's hips, he finished with a final series of hard and fast thrusts, before collapsing over him, panting happily.

Jack bit his arm to keep himself from screaming out loud. "Please, please, Ianto," he begged, after having given the other man a moment to catch his breath.

Still panting a little, Ianto pulled out. He spun Jack around and sank to his knees in front of him. He smiled up at him before leaning in to take him in his mouth.

"Oh yes…" Jack sighed and threw his head back, taking a firm grip on the edge of the desk as Ianto sucked lightly and began moving his head in a slow rhythm. Jack hissed and tangled one of his hands in Ianto's hair. "Please. Faster."

Ianto hummed in answer and began moving faster gradually, sucking hard every time he took Jack in and then pulling back, letting his tongue swirl around the head before sucking again.

Jack groaned, trying to keep as still as possible. "Close, Ianto," he gasped, seconds before he was coming in Ianto's mouth with a loud cry.

Ianto swallowed and then got to his feet with a smug grin. Jack pulled him in and held him close, his nose buried in Ianto's neck. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack, leaning on him.

"You really shouldn't," he muttered.

"Hmm?" Jack's breathing was growing calm again and he had closed his eyes.

"Holmes," Ianto murmured, lazily kissing Jack's neck. "Let it go."

Jack smirked and pulled back a little. "Should I be offended that you think of him just after shagging me through my desk, or flattered because you don't want me to go after other men?"

Ianto sighed. "It's not like that. It's just that John is a great guy and they are clearly good together. Don't go ruining it. Not everyone is as tolerant and open-minded as us." There was almost no trace of bitterness in the last words.

Jack gave him a soft look and stroked his cheek, then traced his bottom lip with his thumb. Then he gently pushed Ianto off himself. "I'm going to bed."

Ianto nodded. "I'll just clean up the rest and head home."

"Thank you." Jack gave Ianto's hand a small squeeze and went off.

With a sigh, Ianto returned to his work.

...

The hotel was just another proof that Ianto had style. John happily pulled Sherlock on top of him on the huge bed, one hand on his neck and one stroking his side, while he was kissing him languidly.

Sherlock smiled into the kiss and muttered: "You know you're the only captain for me, don't you?"

John chuckled. "I don't like even the _thought _of sharing you. You're mine." He kissed him again, pressing up against his body.

Sherlock moaned softly at the contact. "Of course I am. I could never belong to anybody but you. I love you."

John softly stroked down his neck, over his collar bone, to his chest. "I love you too. Does it bother you, that I get jealous so easily? I do trust you, but when I see someone get too close to you, something just snaps..."

"It doesn't bother me at all. On the contrary, it makes me feel even more loved and wanted." He chuckled. "And it usually leads to great sex."

John grinned. "About that..." He stretched to the side to take the lube from their bag, that was thrown next to the bed the moment they came in.

"Yes?" Sherlock grinned. "You feel like doing a little reclaiming of your territory?"

"Hmmm, yes. I want you to ride me, so I can have a proper look at that beautiful body of yours while I'm inside you." He kissed Sherlock's shoulder and pressed some lube on his fingers.

"Of course, love," Sherlock purred. "Anything for you."

John reached around with a lazy smile and gently teased Sherlock's hole. "So gorgeous..."

Sherlock moaned and pushed back against John's finger, eager for more. "All yours," he answered.

John kissed him greedily and hummed as the muscle gave way to two of his fingers. "I love you so much," he whispered, a little breathless.

"I love you too," Sherlock muttered. "I'm ready. I want you inside me. Now."

John pulled his fingers out and took hold of Sherlock's hips, guiding him closer. "God, yes," he mumbled as he quickly gave himself a few strokes to slicken his cock.

Sherlock looked into John's eyes and held them as he sank down, taking him in slowly. His mouth fell open and his eyes turned slightly unfocused as he rolled his hips to take John as deep as possible.

"Oh, fuck, Sherlock," John said loudly, followed by a moan at the sensation of tight slick heat. He took one of Sherlock's hands and entangled their fingers.

Placing his other hand on John's chest, Sherlock began moving slowly, groaning every time he sank down to let himself be completely filled by John.

John moaned, squirming a little incoherently in pleasure without settling for a rhythm yet. His eyes were roaming over Sherlock's body and he licked his lips. "So beautiful, and mine. But I'm yours, just as much. God, do that again."

Sherlock smiled and tilted his hips again. "That?"

John groaned obscenely and met the movement with a firm thrust, resting his free hand on Sherlock's hip. "More," he panted.

Sherlock gasped as John's thrust hit exactly right. He raised himself up and then repeated the motion.

Soon, they had found a delicious rhythm in _that_ angle, and John wrapped his fingers around Sherlock's cock. "I want you to come with me. For me, only for me."

"Only for you," Sherlock agreed, as he closed his eyes. He gasped. "I'm close."

"Yes, yes, me too, come on," John breathed, rolling his hips so he hit Sherlock's prostate time after time, and tugging his cock. "So good, so good..."

"John..." Sherlock cried out, throwing his head back and bearing down on John hard, as his muscles clenched around him.

"Oh god, _god_, Sherlock..." John groaned and buried his cock deep inside his lover, coming hard.

Sherlock slumped down, resting on John's chest. He was gasping for breath, a happy grin on his face.

John gently tangled his hand in his curls and tilted his head a little so he could kiss him. "Fuck, so good," he panted.

Sherlock nodded. "Incredible..."

Suddenly, John giggled. "We should go have a shower. If you still smell of sex when you meet Jack in the morning, he'll go crazy."

Sherlock snorted. "And then imagine what you would have to do to me afterwards. We can't have that."

John chuckled and gently bit his earlobe. "I love you."

Sherlock sighed in content and then eased off John and got to his feet. "Joining me in the shower?" he asked as he headed for the bathroom.

"Of course." John lazily followed Sherlock and wrapped his arms around him, standing behind him under the shower. He nuzzled between his shoulder blades. "You smell nice, though."

Sherlock leaned back against him. "I smell like you," he said. "The only way I ever want to smell."

John giggled and kissed the back of his shoulder. "Yes, all mine, even in smell. You'd better sleep close to me tonight."

Sherlock chuckled and turned to kiss him. "I hope you don't plan on breathing tonight."

"A very clever man once told me that breathing is boring," John grinned, pulling him close.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Ah, good morning, gentlemen!" Jack greeted Sherlock and John with a big grin. "I hope you had a night full of inspiring new thoughts on the case."

Sherlock looked at John and winked. "And morning," he said under his breath before turning to Jack. "Certainly. Let's get to work."

John couldn't suppress a smug grin.

"Oh, Pretty Brain's back!" Eliza's voice sounded from the kitchen, where she had been hovering around Ianto for a cup of tea.

"Yes," Ianto said as he placed two steaming cups in her hands. "And Pretty Brains has to work, so why don't you bring him this and then find a place where you can sit and observe."

She nodded enthusiastically.

"At least you can feel welcome," John laughed as she handed Sherlock the cup with a big smile.

Sherlock smiled at Eliza. "Thank you dear," he said. "Could you be a gem and get John one too?"

"Of course, if you wait with doing something brilliant until I'm back," she nodded.

"It's fine, I'll get it myself," John smiled, going to the kitchen to greet Ianto.

"Where are we looking first, today?" Jack asked Sherlock.

Sherlock sipped his tea and considered for a moment. "I think I need to go back to the car. If the used teleportation device was anything like the one we tried yesterday, the aliens would have had to be close. Perhaps even inside the car."

Jack nodded. "Alright. I'll give you a ride."

John suppressed a smirk at his choice of words.

Sherlock smiled. "Sounds good. Just let me finish this first." He held up his cup.  
Ianto came in with a tray with cups for the rest of them. "You should have some too, Captain," he said. "And some breakfast."

"Thank you for giving me some, Ianto... Quickly then, if I need to eat," Jack said.

"Oh, another one that thinks eating isn't necessary?" John asked.

"No, but we're in a hurry. I would like to find Gwen today," Jack answered.

Ianto put down the tray and quickly retrieved a sandwich from the kitchen and placed it in Jack's hand. Then he turned to John. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yes, we had some in the hotel," John said. "Some breakfast," he added, blushing a little at Jack's grin. "Great choice by the way, the hotel, thanks for that."

Ianto shot Jack another of his meaningful glares before turning to John, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."

"Alright, Sherlock, ready to go?" Jack asked as soon as he had swallowed the last bite of his sandwich.

"Can I come with you?" Eliza asked.

Jack hesitated. "I don't know if it's a good idea if you leave the Hub."

Sherlock shrugged. "You'll stick with me, won't you, dear? And not try to examine anyone?"

"Promised," she said. "Perhaps I can even help with the teleport thing."

"Alright then," Jack sighed.

Ianto was torn between the urge to keep his eyes on Eliza and his eagerness to send a chaperone along with the two men. "Look after her, okay?" he told them.

"I'll be fine, nice boy," Eliza said with a smile at him.

"Believe it or not, that's not what he's worried about," Jack said.

...

"You know," John said to Ianto after the others had left, "this pterodactyl creature intrigues me. Do you consider it as a pet here at Torchwood?"

Ianto chuckled. "Pet, guard dog, refugee. Myfanwy fulfils many roles."

"Strange pet, though," John grinned. "I hope Sherlock won't get any ideas, now he knows they exist."

Ianto laughed. "It won't do him much good. She's the only one, and we're not letting her go."

John chuckled. "So you also _collect_ aliens? You know, like you let Eliza live here now?"

Ianto tensed a little. "Eliza is a special case. She is fulfilling a function. We recently lost our doctor..."

"I'm sorry," John said sincerely. It didn't need a lot of deduction skills to understand what kind of 'lost' Ianto meant. He was quiet for a moment. "But will she keep working for you? What happens to the aliens you find, generally?"

"Some go home or are sent on their way with either help or a warning, some are handed over to 'other' authorities and a few... don't make it."

John nodded. "I can imagine that it isn't always easy to put a job like that out of your head for a moment."

"Oh, it's never out of my head," Ianto smiled wryly. "Torchwood is my entire life. Sometimes I don't..."  
He was interrupted by a phone ringing, up in the office.

John patiently waited until Ianto was back from taking the call. He had finished studying the Hub on the previous day, but still it felt like a new wonder could stick its head up anytime in there. "Everything alright?" he asked when Ianto returned with a grim expression on his face.

"Not really. It was our contact with the local police. Another body with its eyes removed has turned up. I need to go collect it, but... " He glanced around uncertainly. "Do you suppose... you could give me a hand?"

"Of course," John nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well... Can you do what... he... does? You know, look at the body and the... scene?"

John smiled. "I'm not as good as he is by far, but I've picked up a thing or two, and I'm a doctor. I could help with the body."

"That would be great," Ianto smiled. "Usually the entire team would go, but..." He shrugged a little helplessly.

John friendly squeezed his shoulder. "It's fine. Let's go."

...

Sherlock stopped so abruptly that the other two nearly walked into him. "It's gone," he said. "How can it be gone?"

"Because they removed it?" Eliza said with a small smile.

"Yes, but how?" Jack looked puzzled.

"Same way as they got it there, I guess," she shrugged.

"Why?" Sherlock asked, studying her intently. "Why put it here and then remove it?"

Eliza shrugged. "You know. It wasn't the most perfect place for a car, in there. Rather... narrow?"

Jack raised his eyebrow.

"And well, not exactly subtle. They should have thought of that earlier, really. Didn't you say that the car was the only actual clue you have found? It would have been perfect if they had decently parked it. They may have teleportation skills, but I could have told them a thing or two on parking places." Eliza gave an unimpressed nod.

Sherlock chuckled. "Quite right." He turned to Jack. "Are you sure you really need me, when you have her?" he teased.

"Sure. You do have some features she doesn't have," Jack answered, flashing him a smile.

"Hey, you two are flirting. That's unprofessional!" Eliza protested. "It's your time to show what you can do," she added, pointing at Sherlock.

He made a small bow in her direction, went to the spot where the car had been parked and crouched down to examine the ground.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

"What shoe size does Ms Cooper wear?"

Jack stared at him. "Seriously? There's no chance you can work with her bra size, is there?"

Eliza rolled her eyes.

"Ianto probably knows, though. He bought her wedding attire," Jack said.

Sherlock rolled his eyes too. "Unless her breasts wear size eight Converse, I doubt they left these prints..." He straightened up and looked around. "But whoever did wear these, stepped out of the car and then vanished right... here. So someone besides Ms Cooper was in the car at the time it was teleported here."

"Probably the kidnapper then. But we saw on the CCTV footage that she didn't pick anyone up on her way," Jack said.

"They have a teleportation device," Eliza pointed out. "And probably it's easier to move someone when they're closer to them."

"I wish we knew the range on their device," Sherlock said. "It would make it easier to know where they came from, at which point they got in the car and where they have taken Ms Cooper." He looked around. "If it's short range, the car will have rematerialised somewhere near here. They might have driven it away, but there would still be tracks."

"My daddy's teleportation device reaches quite far though," Eliza said. "But of course not everyone has that high quality."

Sherlock smiled at her. "How far? Into-orbit far?"

Her face fell a little. "Uhm, well, not that far. But we could use it to go on vacation, as long as we didn't go to the mountains. It's not very good at heights."

"But as I understand it, there can be a lot of difference between devices, even between the ones your species uses?" Jack asked.

Eliza nodded.

Sherlock sighed. "How do you work like this? The variables are endless..." He whirled around, his eyes roaming the alley for any kind of clues. Then he looked at Eliza. "Can you get me in touch with your daddy?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. He doesn't like to be disturbed."

Sherlock flashed his most winning smile. "Could you try? For me?"

She looked at him for a moment and stroked her fingers over her lips in thought. "_Whe_n can I look at your brain?"

"When I'm not using it," he promised.

She pulled up her eyebrows. "I'm not taking a 'never' for an answer, Sherlock."

Sherlock frowned. "I won't be using it for ever. But right now I really need it. To find Ms Cooper."

"Eliza, remember that you're only out of that cell to help us. You're not in a position to negotiate," Jack said authoritatively.

Eliza stuck her tongue out at him. "I _am_ contacting my daddy if you lock me up in a room without internet again, you know. And _not_ to ask him things about teleportation."

Jack sighed. "Probably I'm supposed to be very afraid now."

"You'd better." She looked at Sherlock with a little hesitation. "Alright then. I can always _make_ you stop using your brain after all, and it's interesting to watch you. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Eliza." Sherlock turned to Jack. "You better take her back. I'll search this area more thoroughly and then get a cab when I'm done."

Jack nodded. "Thank you, Sherlock. Eliza, with me."

"But I want to see him work!" An annoyed look from Jack had her following anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Do aliens always create crime scenes as disturbing as that?" John asked. They were on their way back to the Hub, the corpse unceremoniously raised into the trunk of the car.

Ianto smiled. "Not always, but often. And just as often much much worse."

"God. And I thought I had seen a lot," John said. "Why would they just remove the eyes? Are they of use to them?" He wrinkled his nose.

"They must be. Maybe just as trophies. But I've never seen an alien kill a human being without some kind of purpose, however twisted it may seem to us."

"What kind of species do you think did this?"

Ianto shrugged. "According to Eliza, one with tentacles. I'd also say not a very violent one, considering that no other harm was done to the bodies. But beyond that, I'm a bit lost. It's not something I have encountered, so I'll have to check the older records."

John nodded. "We'll let Sherlock have a look too. He'll be delighted. Coming to Cardiff is probably high on his list of good choices, now it has given him so many new mysteries."

Ianto's chuckle was a little hollow. "Yes," he said. "His coming to Cardiff was certainly a good choice."

John frowned a little at Ianto's tone, but didn't comment.

Ianto didn't speak again, before he turned the car into the underground garage. "I'll go get a gurney," he said. "Can you keep an eye on the body?"

"Ha bloody ha." John couldn't suppress a smile. "I'll stay."

Ianto chuckled and left.

John walked around the car, thinking. As nice as Ianto was to have around, he always seemed a little sad. And even though he was as friendly to Sherlock as to everyone else, Ianto didn't appear too happy to have him around. John wondered if he was imagining it, and if not, why Ianto acted like that.

When the sound of the gurney wheels approached, John moved to the back of the car to help with lifting the body onto it.

Ianto was smiling. "Jack and Eliza are back," he said. "Apparently the car is now missing too."

"Oh, great. Where's Sherlock?" John frowned.

"Jack said he wanted to search the area more thoroughly. He should be along soon."

"At least he tells _someone_ where he is now," John sighed.

Ianto frowned as he took hold of the body and began to move it carefully. "He usually doesn't?"

"He gets caught up in his work and forgets literally everything else," John shrugged. "Took me quite some time to get used to it."

"Oh, I see." Ianto hesitated. "It must be tough. Being overlooked like that."

"Yeah, but we figured it out," John said with a small smile. "If he suspects that he's really getting in danger, he'll let me know and I can go save his arse."

"Oh. Well, glad to hear you've got it worked out." Ianto smiled at him as he began wheeling the body into the Hub.

...

"Can I see it?" Eliza immediately jumped up when she saw Ianto.

"As much as I understand your enthusiasm for seeing Ianto again, you have other work to do, Eliza," Jack said.

"Yes, but there's a _body_! That also counts as helping you! And I'm curious about this tentacle person," she said.

Ianto smiled. "We might as well let her have a look, Sir," he said.

"She was going to contact her father for us," Jack said.

"_She_ is actually standing right here and feels more like having a look at the body," Eliza said, crossing her arms.

Jack sighed. "Quickly, then. Can you help her, Captain?"

"Sure," John nodded, understanding that he was meant to keep her from needlessly damaging the corpse.

"Good. Ianto, a word in my office, please." Jack was already half up the stairs.

Ianto sighed and followed Jack. "Yes, Sir?" he asked as he closed the door behind him.

Jack stepped closer, put a hand on Ianto's neck and pulled him in for a desperate kiss. "God, I needed that," he said when he pulled back with a gasp. "Babysitting an alien child is more tiring than anything I know."

Ianto was panting slightly. "I know, Sir," he said. "It can be very exhausting. Never any rest. Not knowing what they might get up to the moment you turn your back."

Jack kissed him again, lowering his hands to Ianto's biceps. "Do you think we have time for a distraction?"

"I think the good doctor and the little alien can keep themselves occupied for a while, Sir," Ianto said with a smug grin.

"Good." Jack kissed Ianto more slowly this time, one hand wandering down to open his fly.

Ianto began unbuttoning Jack's shirt and moaned softly into the kiss.

"I need you," Jack mumbled, slipping his hand into Ianto's pants.

"You have me, Sir," Ianto gasped, sliding Jack's shirt off his shoulders.

Jack worked his hand further back to cup Ianto's balls. "Ianto..." he breathed against his lips, quickly opening his own trousers and pushing his pants down far enough to make his cock spring free.

Ianto wrapped his hand around it and began stroking. "Oh Jack," he muttered.

In a quick movement, Jack pulled Ianto's pants down as well and stepped close enough to make their erections brush against each other, were it not for Ianto's hand between them. "Fuck," Jack moaned.

Instantly Ianto moved his hand so he could wrap it around them both. He sucked on Jack's lower lip and began stroking fast. Jack groaned loudly, moving his hips for more friction against Ianto's cock. Ianto chuckled at his impatience and tightened his grip. With his other hand he reached around and grabbed Jack's arse.

Jack crushed their mouths together again, stroking Ianto's face and neck with his fingertips.

Ianto moved his hand until his fingertips reached Jack's hole, teasing it gently as he continued stroking fast. Jack gasped against Ianto's mouth, his movements becoming even more frantic before he stilled and came.

Ianto continued stroking them both until Jack was done, then he released him and finished himself with a few quick slides of his hand.

Jack bent his head to place a few soft kisses on Ianto's neck. "Thank you," he mumbled.

Ianto smiled, and then got a box of tissues from one of the drawers and quickly cleaned them both up.

Jack smiled at him and quickly made himself decent again. "What would I be without you, Ianto?" he said, softly squeezing the other man's hand before he went back down to the others.

Ianto watched him with a smile. Then he straightened a few things in the office before following him.

...

"It's certainly done by the same person," Eliza said as soon as she saw Jack. "Tentacles, and the brains coming along, all over again. And I believe the alien was feeling endangered again, too."

John looked at Jack. There was something different about the way he stood, more relaxed and at the same time more proud, but John couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Eliza found a microscopic purple flake on her clothes and that was all the proof she needed," he explained to him.

Jack nodded. "Good work. I'm glad you two had a look. Now, when Sherlock gets back..."

"Yes?" Sherlock smiled as he came through the door. He stopped and studied Jack for a moment. Then he looked up, just as Ianto stepped out from Jack's office.  
Sherlock chuckled and winked at John, before turning to Jack again. "You were talking about me?"

Both John and Jack grinned.

"Yes, well," Jack said, "I'm glad you found your way in. Has the scene been able to enlighten you?"

"I didn't find anything. Which of course tells us a lot."

Eliza nodded seriously and Jack chuckled.

"Like what?" John asked.

"Like the alien we are dealing with here, does not just have a small toy like the one Eliza showed us, but a major device capable of teleporting both large objects, multiple individuals and specific types of matter over great distances. It's unlikely it's just a disgruntled or mischievous individual who is behind this, but rather a large group, perhaps even an agency, and they had a very specific reason for abducting Ms Cooper."

"That certainly narrows it down," Jack said. "Most aliens are lost and lonely after getting through the rift. There are only a few species that are intelligent and numerous enough to do this."

Sherlock laid an arm around Jack's shoulder and turned him towards the wall he had filled with prints and notes. "Let's start reducing the list of suspects, shall we?"

"Oh yes," Jack grinned, taking his chance to sneak an arm around Sherlock's waist.

John cleared his throat. "Could it have anything to do with the eyeless bodies?"

Sherlock looked at John over his shoulder. "Bodies? There's a new one?"

John nodded. "It's here. Eliza confirmed that the eyes were removed by tentacles. Are there any powerful species with that feature?"

"Not that we know about," Jack shrugged.

Sherlock moved to the wall and began tearing species off it. "Then you better get to work finding out, right?" he winked at Jack.

"Oh, ordering me about now?" Jack grinned. Then he got more serious. "Eliza, it really is time to contact your father. You've had your fun with the corpse. Do you also have contact with other alien species?"

Eliza shrugged. "Depends on what your definition of 'alien' is. I've told you, my field of study is all that is human. Others observe other species."

Ianto walked over to Sherlock. "Anything I can do?"  
Sherlock frowned at the wall. "Maybe you could write up a file on what we know about the tentacle-creatures so far."

"I'll help!" Eliza said. "I know quite a lot about them after studying the bodies."

Jack shook his head. "No."

"I don't know _how_ to contact my daddy from here, alright? And it's shameful not knowing something, so please stop nagging about it," Eliza said with a pout.

"No idea at all?" Jack asked.

Eliza glared at him.

"Fine. Then you're helping me." Ianto took her by the hand and led her off to the archives.  
"What about Ms Cooper's husband?" Sherlock asked. "Has he been questioned?"

"Only when she hadn't been gone for long. He will be worried sick," Jack sighed.

"Perhaps I could go to him?" John asked. "It will reassure him that we are working on the case, and perhaps I can even find out something useful, talking to him."

Sherlock nodded. "Yes, you are good at that. Talking to people I mean." He picked up a paper he had thrown to the floor a moment before, examined it again and reattached it to the wall.

John pulled up his eyebrow and stepped closer, pulled Sherlock down by his neck so he couldn't get away and gave him a quick kiss. "Address?" he asked, turning to Jack.

Jack smirked and quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper. "Tell Rhys that I sent you. He'll be on his guard now. After all he knows what Gwen's job is."

Sherlock smiled at John before turning back to the wall. "There must be more ways of narrowing it down," he muttered.

Jack rummaged through the papers to find a file, but stopped for a moment when John had left. "Your boyfriend is quite possessive, isn't he?" he asked Sherlock with a smirk.

"Not really," Sherlock answered, suppressing a smile. "Just very smitten."

Jack chuckled. "Who wouldn't be. Handsome and intelligent enough to make even an alien interested." He glanced at the page in his hand. "If the kidnappers had been 15 foot tall, they would have left clues, don't you think?"

Sherlock cleared his throat. "That would depend on their weight and the size of their feet."

"Huge," Jack said, shaking his head and putting the paper aside. "They're rather the type that makes the earth shake when they walk. But they're quite numerous, and smarter than they look."

Sherlock chuckled. "Doubt they would have fit in the back seat."

"Another good point," Jack chuckled. "God, they miss out on something."

Sherlock pulled down two printed pages and while comparing them walked over to sit on the desk. "Yes?" he asked, distractedly.

"Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I can imagine that that captain of yours isn't as innocent as he looks," Jack grinned, turning his attention to the wall now.

Sherlock looked at him for a moment, then raised his eyebrows. "Oh." He cleared his throat again. "Yes, well, I doubt they were doing that in Ms Cooper's car anyway."

"True," Jack said. "Hmm, what about these?" He pointed at one of the other papers. "I've heard one of them even got as far as the government, so they do blend in..."

Sherlock walked over and looked over his shoulder. "Oh yeah," he said. "She worked for Mycroft for a while." He read the description of the characteristics of the species. "Oh, and I see why."

"Sometimes I've wondered if we shouldn't check Mycroft for alien origins," Jack chuckled. "I can imagine they got along. On the other hand, they would have a lot to lose if a big group of them started with kidnappings."

Sherlock put a hand on his shoulder. "I've had my doubts too, but believe me, he is all human."

Jack grinned. "Of course he wouldn't have been so boring if he had been alien."

Sherlock laughed. "Now you almost make me wish he did have a little alien in him. Would have made growing up with him a lot more interesting rather than just... odd."

Jack's phone started ringing and he gave an annoyed sigh. Looking at the screen, his expression turned curious. "Yes? What, again? Alright, very good. I'm on my way." He looked at Sherlock with an apologetic expression. "I'll have to leave you. There almost was another eyeless victim. The police were just in time to save her and they have the alien in custody. I have to go pick it up and try to control the damage on everyone's nerves after they saw a tentacled creature attack. You can keep working, I can handle it alone." He turned to Sherlock to give his shoulder a short squeeze and went to his office to find his coat and car keys.

"Sure," Sherlock waved vaguely in his direction. His attention was quite captivated by a printout he had come across about a Torchwood employee who had been abducted in the early thirties. The species responsible had never been identified and the agent had been found dead, so it was not very encouraging, but there might be some clues if he could just find something to cross-reference it with.  
He went to the wall and began scanning the different species and events pinned there.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Eliza very, very quietly opened the door. Sherlock was standing with his back towards her. She tilted her head and saw that he was wearing a very concentrated look, as he stared at one of the pages. Yes, perfect. It was even better if that pretty brain was at work while she had a look at it. She had waited long enough. And both captains were out now, so no-one would stop her. Surely the nice boy wouldn't think of it, and by the time he found out it would be too late anyway.

With soft steps, she approached Sherlock, until she was standing close enough to hear him breathe. He wasn't moving. All focus and brainwork. She licked her lips, stared at the back of Sherlock's head for a moment where black curls were covering all that beauty, and then jumped on his back.

Sherlock yelped in surprise and spun around, just in time to see a very flustered Ianto bursting through the door.  
"Eliza!" the young man called sternly. "Will you stop that, right this instant."

"No!" Eliza called out, her hands tangling in the curls so she wouldn't be thrown off Sherlock's back.

Sherlock tried getting a hold of her, but couldn't quite reach her as his head was pulled back.  
Ianto rushed forward and grabbed her arm. He tried pulling, but her grip was too tight, and Sherlock groaned in pain.  
"Let go, young lady," Ianto scolded. "Or I'm locking you up again."

"No, it's too pretty, I need to have a look." She was staring at the centre of Sherlock's crown with a manic look in her violet eyes.

Sherlock spun around again, and Ianto was almost pulled off his feet.

"That's not the way to do it," he protested. "You'll mess it up that way..."  
"Yes," Sherlock agreed. "Very unscientific."

Eliza loosened her grip a little and came back to herself. "Do you think so?" she asked with a worried frown.

"Yes, I do. You need to secure him, use the proper tools. Like they did at the university."

She bit her lip, considering it, and nodded. "You're right. Do you have something to keep the test subject in place?" she asked, letting go and sliding down Sherlock's back onto her feet.

Ianto darted forward and got a secure grip on Eliza's wrist. "I most certainly don't. And you're going back to your cell to think about this. Sherlock has promised you a look once he's done here and not a moment sooner."

Eliza gave him a sad look. "Please, not the cell. At least let me take a laptop, but don't put me in a room without information. I'll be good. I won't touch him, just watch him work. Please." She blinked up at him with big eyes.

"You can have a book," he said, as he marched her off.  
Sherlock watched them leave with a bemused frown before returning to his work.

"It's not fair!" Eliza said, struggling to get free, but Ianto didn't let go. "You were nice!" she tried desperately.

"So were you," he said as he hauled her through the door to her cell. "Now what do you want? Shakespeare or the encyclopaedia?"

"I already know both of those," she whined. "I want a laptop, only the internet has new things all the time."

"Well, you're not getting one," Ianto said as he locked the door. "You've been very naughty, so you don't deserve a laptop."

"Please," Eliza begged.

"No," Ianto walked round to the glass front of the cage and glared at her. "I trusted you. You really let me down."

Eliza pouted and sat down against the wall, crossing her legs. "You're mean."

"Maybe I am," Ianto said, struggling to keep his voice cold. He really did like the girl, but knew Jack would hold him responsible if she did any real damage. "But you were misbehaving, and you know it."

Eliza stuck out her tongue and turned away, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Ianto tried to suppress a chuckle as he left to go see if Sherlock was okay.

...

"She did _what_?" John asked Sherlock, glancing over his shoulder for only a second as Ianto came in. "Show me your head."

Sherlock leaned towards him. "She just pulled on my hair a little. I'm fine."  
Ianto rushed over to Sherlock. "She had a pretty good grip," he said. "And how about your back? Did you strain anything?"

"What happened to his back?" John frowned, brushing curls aside to see if there was any damage to Sherlock's scalp.

Sherlock chuckled. "She sort of climbed up on it. But it's fine, I've carried heavier bodies than hers before. I really am fine."  
Ianto frowned, then turned to John. "Could Rhys tell you anything new? How's he holding up?"

"Rhys is fine, you know, considering," John answered, stroking more gently down Sherlock's hair along his neck, once he was reassured that Sherlock was indeed unharmed. He stepped back a little to turn towards Ianto. "He didn't have a clue about where Gwen could be though. Said that that's Jack's job, and that we'd better make sure we find her soon."

Ianto smiled sadly. "Yes. He's got a point, I'm afraid. That is why Torchwood staff rarely has close family relations."

John nodded, understanding. "I can imagine it isn't easy."

"Ianto, some help," Jack's voice sounded before he walked in and saw the three men standing close to each other. "Oh, sorry to spoil the fun. I'd love to join you, but, well, you see," he said, nodding at the creature he was holding by the back of its neck.

Sherlock stared in wonder. He had seen plenty of pictures and descriptions to know by now that not all aliens looked as human as Eliza, but nothing could have prepared him for this.  
The creature squirming in Jack's grip, and squirming was indeed the proper word, was barely four feet tall. It was a deep dusty shade of purple, with large black eyes. It had a body almost like a human child, except that Sherlock could not discern any visible hands in the writhing mess of tentacles descending from its elbows. And unless he was very much mistaken, the clattering sound that accompanied their arrival was caused by the small hooves at the ends of its legs, which were currently kicking and stamping in protest.

"God," John breathed, also staring in surprise.

"Ianto, if you could help me bring our new friend to the cells for questioning?" Jack asked a little impatiently.

"Of course, Sir." Ianto hurried over and tried to get a grip on some of the longer tentacles, barely suppressing a yelp as one of them snaked its way around his thigh. "What is this thing, if you don't mind me asking, Sir?"  
The creature let out a long plaintive, high-pitched sound.

"I have no idea. Either it won't talk to me or it can't." Jack pulled the tentacle away from Ianto's thigh and turned the alien around so he could push it forward in the direction of the cells.

"So that's what killed those people?" John asked.

"Most probably," Jack answered. "I don't think there are many of these around here, or we would have known."

"Indeed," Sherlock took a step closer, though he made sure to stay out of reach of the tentacles, which were now thrashing frantically.

"Alright, cell, before it gets more aggressive than it already is," Jack said.

Once the alien was locked up, Jack stepped back to watch it and catch his breath. "Okay, I'm asking you again. Do you have a name? Do you understand me?"

The creature let out a long hissing sound and pounded several tentacles against the glass.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Alright, that's not really helpful."

The creature stamped one of its hooves repeatedly and then pushed off the glass with all tentacles at once and propelled itself into a corner, where it curled up on itself in a heaving writhing mass.

"This is no use," Jack said, shaking his head and walking back upstairs.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Once Jack and Ianto were gone, Eliza unfolded herself from the spot on the floor where she had been sulking and curiously looked at the other alien in the cell next to hers. "Hello there," she tried, a little shy.

The creature whined softly.

"You are the tentacly person who stole those humans' eyes, aren't you? That really were some of the most brilliant corpses I've ever seen. Well done." She hesitated for a moment. "Are you sad, or do you always make that sound? I don't like it here, either. But it's better now you are here."

"Daeezdiii..." The creature hissed.

Eliza frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't understand that. I would love to, though. Perhaps if I observe you long enough, I will learn what it means."

"Daeezdii... De eyez are daeezdii," the creature muttered and began unfurling.

"Ooh." Eliza grinned widely. "So you do speak English. Great. What's your name? I'm Eliza Valjean."

"Eeelaizzaaah," the creature answered. "'m Ziiiii."

"Nice to meet you, Cy," Eliza smiled. "So, do you have a thing for eyes, or were you just curious about what it was like to steal them?" she asked interestedly.

"Coookiin," Cy answered. "Daaezdii."

"Ah," Eliza nodded. "Actually I've never tasted anything human. Perhaps I should, to complete my study on them."

"Ay coook," Cy suggested. "Eyez daaezdii. An braaiinn."

"Oh yes, human brains are interesting," Eliza beamed. "I'd love to see how they change when they are cooked. I can learn so much from you." She put a hand against the glass.

Cy placed several writhing tentacles on the glass, two of the minor ones poking through the air holes. "Freanddd?" she asked.

"Of course I want to be your friend," Eliza grinned happily, shaking one of the small tentacles.

Cy smiled and purred.

...

Jack looked in surprise at the images on the screen showing the cells. "Look. Eliza is communicating with that creature."

Ianto leaned in to look over his shoulder. "It would seem so. Well, that will be helpful."

Jack nodded. "Do you think you can convince Eliza to help us again?"

Ianto frowned. "I can try. But we may have to promise her something good. She got pretty miffed about not getting to see the 'Pretty Brain'."

Jack nodded. "I'm sure you can come up with something. We need to hear what that creature has to say."

"Well," Ianto said hesitantly. "The one thing she really wants, is to cut open and examine a living human being." He glanced at Jack, then quickly looked away.

"Ianto…" Jack said with a sharp look. "You're not seriously suggesting…"

Ianto shook his head, a slightly panicked look in his eyes.. "Not suggesting anything, Sir."

Jack pulled up his eyebrow at him. "Convince her. But if her conditions are unreasonable or dangerous, we'll need to find another way and let someone else try."

Ianto nodded and went back down to the cells. He put on his most cheerful face before stepping into view.  
"Well, Eliza. Have you made a new friend?"

Eliza stepped back from the glass and glared at him. "Go away."

Ianto held up his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I was just hoping you could help us learn something about... it... Where it's from, and if it needs anything?"

Eliza pulled up her eyebrows. "_It_? Do you think of us as _things_? She's a _she_. Everyone can see that."

Ianto blushed. "Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry. I see what you mean." He took a step closer. "What's her name?"

"Cy." Eliza hesitated for a moment, then added: "She's my friend."

"Cy? That's a pretty name. Do you know why she's here in Cardiff? Did she fall through the Rift or travel here?"

Eliza looked back at Cy. "I don't know if she wants me to tell you. It might be private."

Ianto nodded. "Yes, good point." He glanced up at the camera. "Maybe, if I leave you two alone for a bit, you can talk about it. Find out what she's comfortable with telling us."

"It would be easier to talk if we weren't separated," Eliza said, waving at the glass between them.

Cy chose that moment to attempt to get one of her larger tentacles through one of the air holes. It wouldn't fit and she drew back with a protesting whine.  
Ianto frowned. "I'll have to ask the captain," he said, a little hesitantly. He turned on his earpiece. "Sir?"

"Ianto, everything alright down there?" Jack answered.

"Yes, Sir. But they want to talk. Can we open the doors and leave them alone for a moment?"

Jack chewed on his lip for a moment. "I'm not sure if it's safe to leave those two alone. Murderous as they are on their own, I don't even want to know what they'd do together."

"Well," Ianto shrugged, looking at the camera. "They can't get out of here. But they could of course harm each other. They do seem rather friendly though." He pointed to the thin tentacles that were once again snaking their way through the holes, searching out Eliza's hands.

Jack sighed. "Alright. Let Eliza go into the other creature's cell and lock the door behind her. We'll keep an eye on them from here."

"Yes, Sir." Ianto turned to the two aliens. "Eliza, can you ask... Cy... to step to the back of her cell? As far from the door as possible." He hesitated, then added: "Please."

Eliza nodded and put her hand back on the glass, looking at Cy. "Do as he says. I'm coming to you," she said softly.

Cy cocked her head for a moment, then retreated to the back wall, withdrawing all her tentacles until they were hovering like a web around her. Ianto unlocked Eliza's cell.  
"Are you sure you'll be safe with her?" he asked.

"Yes, she's sweet," Eliza nodded, enthusiastically hopping forward.

"She is also a killer. Remember?"

She looked up at him with a thoughtful look. "So am I, in your eyes. I can take care of myself. And that's not even necessary, because like I said, she's sweet to me."

With a sigh, Ianto unlocked the cell door and then hastily retreated, leaving them alone. Cy lowered her tentacles a little and watched Eliza intently.

Eliza smiled at her and slowly took a step closer. "There, that's better, isn't it?"

Suddenly Cy squealed and, pushing off the wall with several of the larger tentacles, hurled herself at Eliza. Within seconds, she had her completely enveloped in a slithering mass of purple limbs.

Eliza let out a small cry of surprise.

"She's being attacked!" Jack called out, rushing from his chair to get downstairs as quickly as possible. Once there, he pushed Ianto out of the way and opened the cell door.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ianto stumbled and reached out to Jack. "No... Jack... wait," he gasped.  
Cy was chittering as she began pulling Eliza to the back of her cell.

Jack pulled himself loose from Ianto's grip on his arm. "I'm not letting them kill each other."

"This is actually quite nice," Eliza said, a little puzzled as she relaxed in the purple cocoon. Tentatively she stroked one of the thicker tentacles that had wound itself all around her and then curled back to Cy's back, where she could reach it.

Jack stopped in the door opening and stared. "Is it... _hugging_ her?"

"_She_," Eliza corrected with a roll of her eyes. "So _this_ is what humans call hugging."

"I think so," Ianto muttered as he came up behind Jack. "Or whatever her equivalent of hugging is."  
Cy began purring.

"Aw, you're so cute," Eliza beamed, wrapping her arms tightly around Cy and bending to nuzzle the top of her head.

"I guess it's safe to leave them, then," Jack said, sounding a little deflated.

Ianto tried to hide his smug grin as he put a hand on Jack's shoulder and led him away.  
"Sweeeeet Liiizaaa," Cy whispered, pulling Eliza down to sit on the floor.

Once she was sitting down, Eliza pulled her into her lap. "Should I tell the mean humans anything about you?"

"Noddin doo dell," Cy muttered. "I waz home. I waz here... Found fooood."

Eliza nodded. "Are you the only one that ended up here?"

Cy nodded. "Oanly Ziiii." She hesitated for a moment then added: "Nowww Ziii an Liiizaaa."

"Yes, now we both aren't lonely anymore," Eliza smiled, hugging Cy a little more tightly. She was quiet for a moment. "Are you going to eat my eyes too?" she asked, a little worried.

Cy giggled, which send all her minor tentacles rippling around them. "Liiizaaa eyez no daeezdiii. Pweddiiii."

"Oh." Eliza blushed a little. "Thank you." She played absentmindedly with one of the small tentacles for a moment before she looked up again. "You are also very beautiful," she said, a little shy.

Cy purred again and nuzzled against Eliza. Her larger tentacles were slowly unwinding, starting to explore instead of just holding on.

Eliza giggled and squirmed. "That tickles."

"Iz bad?" Cy inquired as one of her tentacles found its way up Eliza's sleeve.

"No, it just... tickles," Eliza said, trying to keep still and stop laughing.

Cy giggled again and wrapped another tentacle around Eliza's thigh.

"What... oh." Eliza blushed even more.

...

"Is it me, or are they getting _really_ friendly?" Jack said, smirking at the screen.

"Usually I would say it was just you," Ianto said, reaching for the off-switch. "But this time I think you're probably right..."  
"No, wait." Sherlock put a hand on his arm. "This is fascinating."

John gave Sherlock an incredulous look. "Fascinating? Really, Sherlock..."

"Wait, come and sit here, you'll have a better view," Jack said, pulling Sherlock almost into his lap and earning a glare from John.

"Yes," Sherlock nodded and shifted a little to get more comfortable. "They are two different species. They shouldn't be physically compatible but... Oh..."  
"They may be aliens, but they still have the right to some privacy." Ianto reached for the switch again.

"'Oh' indeed," Jack said, a tone of admiration in his voice as he quickly caught Ianto's wrist. "I've seen a lot, but not that. That's just not right..." His mouth was almost touching Sherlock's ear as he leaned forward to the screen.

"Privacy, remember?" John said, his eyes on Sherlock and Jack instead of the screen as he switched it off.

Sherlock twisted a little to look at John, subtly leaning closer to Jack. "I suppose you're right," he said, pouting slightly. "And the knowledge is pretty unlikely to come in handy. But still it was... educational."

John pulled up his eyebrows, his expression a mix of exasperation, faint arousal and the attempt to remain stoic.

"We'll still have to look when they are finished," Jack said, resting a hand on Sherlock's side. "After all we do need to talk to them."

Sherlock smiled at Jack. "Yes, you're right. It can wait."  
Ianto huffed and stalked off to the kitchen.

John pressed his lips tightly together. "Sitting comfortably?" he asked Sherlock.

Jack smirked. "I've got another knee if you want to test..."

Sherlock almost laughed, but managed to suppress it. With a wicked gleam in his eyes he looked up at John. "It's not so bad," he said as he leaned back a little.

John could barely contain himself. "Sherlock..."

"If you need it, we still have a few empty cells," Jack said amusedly. "I'm sure Ianto and I will enjoy that even more than the earlier performance."

Sherlock turned and punched Jack's shoulder softly. "Behave," he said. "John's not like that." He looked at John and smiled innocently. "Are you?"

"You know perfectly how I am and am not," John almost growled. "I'll go see if Ianto needs some help in the kitchen. Get off his lap, it's hardly professional."

Sherlock chuckled softly. "Right," he said as he got to his feet. "I better get back to work." He walked over to the wall and bent down to study one of the lower notes.

Jack gave him an appreciative look, smirking as John was quickly rushing past Sherlock. Then he too got up to return to working.

Ianto was standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring vacantly at the coffeemaker.

"They are _infuriating_," John said as he came in. "They know well enough what they're doing and still... Hey, are you alright?"

Ianto looked up. "Huh? Oh yeah. I was just... making coffee."

John gave him a small nod, understanding that the other didn't want to talk. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Oh," Ianto shook his head. "Oh no, it's fine." He went over and started up the machine. Then he turned to John. "Why does he do it?" he blurted out. "Does he want to hurt you?"

John frowned and put a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "It's okay. Sherlock's just making me jealous. We've talked about this, he wouldn't want to hurt me... Is Jack hurting _you_?" he asked in sudden understanding.

Ianto hesitated a moment, then shook his head. "No. Jack is free. We're not together."

"That doesn't really mean he can't hurt you," John said carefully.

"He isn't hurting me," Ianto said, a little more forcefully than he intended. "Everything is fine. He's just being... Jack."

John nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to imply anything that isn't true. Just... Sherlock isn't really interested in him," he said with a small shrug, but looking serious.

Ianto chuckled dryly. "That has never stopped Jack from trying."

"But it does make a difference that he won't succeed," John said with a small smile.

"To you it does," Ianto said, and then bit his lip. He turned to the machine and fiddled with it.

John frowned and followed the movements of his hands for a while, thinking. "Have you talked to Jack about... this?"

"There's no 'this' to talk about," Ianto said. "Things are as they should be. Jack is... different."

John sighed. "Still, it might help. But alright, it's none of my business. I just hope, you know... Just don't get hurt." He gave Ianto a quick pat on his shoulder.

Ianto tensed a little. "Of course not," he said. "Everything's fine." He sighed. "The coffee will be ready in a couple of minutes."

John gave him a small smile. "I'll go back and see if Sherlock's on a trail."

Ianto nodded. "Yes, I'll bring you a cup when it's done."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sherlock was scribbling down new notes and placing them at various points on the wall. "The eyeless bodies have got nothing to do with the abduction," he said, to no-one in particular. "That creature is operating on its own and does not have access to that kind of technology. At least not at the present."

Jack nodded. "Looks like you're right. Still, I think we should ask Cy as much as possible about her species. You never know if she has connections that are just as blood-thirsty."

"Of course." Sherlock smiled at him. "I'm sure she'll be willing to volunteer information. As long as Eliza does the asking." Then he paused. "What will you do with her afterwards? Can you send her back to where she came from?"

Jack shrugged. "If we can find a way to do so, yes." He waved at the CCTV screen. "I'll check if they're finished. Want to join me?"

Sherlock smiled at him. "No, it's fine. I think I got what I needed the first time." He looked over and grinned at John, as he returned from the kitchen.

Jack chuckled and turned the screen back on. In a corner of their cell, Eliza and Cy were lying on the floor, completely curled up around each other and apparently asleep.

Sherlock went over to John. "Everything alright?" he asked.

John nodded. "I just wish we were somewhere where there weren't cameras everywhere. Making any progress?" He waved at the wall.

Sherlock shrugged. "Eliminating possibilities," he said. He put an arm around John's shoulders and pulled him close. "What would you do if there weren't any cameras?" he whispered.

"Reclaim what is mine," John mumbled, laying his arms around Sherlock's waist. "Stop teasing me in public."

Sherlock leaned against him. "Oh, but I just can't help it. Knowing what it will get me..." He gave John a small squeeze. "I'm terrible, I know it." Then he chuckled. "There are no cameras in the archives."

John looked up at him. "You're really getting yourself into trouble. Don't you want to work?" His eyes were already growing dark.

"I'm kind of stuck," he said. "But I suppose I could go ask Jack if there's anything I could help him with..." He grinned at John, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"Okay, archives, now," John said.

"Something wrong?" Jack smirked, turning to them.

Sherlock took John's hand and flashed Jack a rare genuine smile.  
"John was just telling me about something he saw in the archives yesterday that might be relevant. So we're going to go take a look. You should begin investigating the origins of... Cy, was it?"

Jack nodded. "Good luck. We'll go to the cell as soon as Ianto is ready with the coffee, so the girls can have their moment." He nodded at the screen.

"How considerate of you." Sherlock grinned and hauled John off towards the archives.

...

Once out of sight of the cameras, John pushed Sherlock against the wall and kissed him almost aggressively.

Sherlock moaned and began pulling on John's clothes.

John was too caught up in the kiss to react with anything but kissing Sherlock even more deeply. He moaned softly, stroking the taller man's sides.

Finally Sherlock got John's jeans opened and he let himself slide down the wall until he was kneeling in front of John. He glanced up and smiled as he pulled John's jeans and pants down.

"God, the way you look..." John breathed, shuffling closer and tangling a hand in Sherlock's hair.

"I love you," Sherlock said, before leaning in to lick the head of John's cock.

John's whole body jolted and he brought his other hand up to muffle his groan. "Oh, fuck, I love you too."

Sherlock chuckled and then took the head in his mouth, sucking softly.

"God, your mouth," John breathed. "You're so amazing."

Sherlock looked up at him as he slowly took in the entire length. John didn't take his eyes off Sherlock's face, his own mouth a little open as he tried to be gentle in following the movements of Sherlock's mouth and tongue. "I want to fuck you," he whispered.

Sherlock pulled back. "Yes," he said. "Just tell me how you want me."

"Turn around, against the wall," John said hoarsely, pulling Sherlock up.

Sherlock nodded and turned away from John, bracing himself against the wall.

John made a small, eager sound and reached around to open Sherlock's trousers, then pulled them down with his pants. Kissing the back of his shoulder, he started fondling Sherlock's cock.

Sherlock groaned and pushed back against John. "Just take me," he moaned. "I need you. Now."

"Yes, yes, I want you," John said breathlessly, pushing Sherlock's legs wider so he could gently press up against his hole. "God, Sherlock... Tell me if it hurts."

"It's fine." Sherlock tilted his hips back. "I'm fine. I want you. Please." He rested his forehead against the wall.

John exhaled and buried his face in Sherlock's back, grabbing his hips as he slowly pushed in. "God, so tight," he groaned.

Sherlock moaned and pushed back against John.

John pulled a little back before he pushed deeper, hissing in pleasure. "Mine."

"All yours," Sherlock gasped.

John moaned as he started to thrust, his face still pressed against the fabric of Sherlock's shirt.

"Oh god, that feels so good," Sherlock muttered. "You feel so good."

John gasped and reached around to tug at Sherlock's cock.

Sherlock groaned. "Won't... last... long..." he panted.

"Yes, yes, come for me," John panted, pressing his forehead hard against Sherlock's shoulder as he kept rocking his hips.

"Oh... John... fuck..." Sherlock gasped and bucked his hips as he came hard.

John cried out as Sherlock clenched around him, and after a few more desperate thrusts he followed.

Sherlock leaned against the wall, laughing breathlessly. "God, I love you," he gasped.

"You too," John panted against his shoulder blade, before he carefully pulled out and turned Sherlock around to keep him close in his arms.

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John and bent down to kiss him.

John answered the kiss, gently stroking his neck. "So fucking beautiful," he mumbled lazily.

"So madly in love with you," Sherlock answered.

John chuckled. "You already were mad, it's nothing to do with me."

"It has got everything to do with you... Do you seriously think I'd let that smug git fondle me, if I didn't know the delightful reactions it would elicit in you?"

John grinned and nuzzled his collar bone. "You _are_ mine," he smiled.

"I certainly am," Sherlock agreed and then pushed John back a little, so he could straighten his clothes.

John reached up for another kiss, before he pulled his pants and trousers back up.

Once they were decent, Sherlock took John's hand in his. "Now we better get back to work, right?"

"Hmm," John said, pressing a few more kisses on Sherlock's neck.

"Do you two find what you need?" Jack's voice sounded from a little further off.

"Yes," Sherlock chuckled. "We certainly did."

John suppressed his laughter and poked him softly, then stepped a little away from Sherlock as he heard Jack approach, but without letting go of his hand.

"Oh, you made a mess of the wall," Jack said with a frown that couldn't disguise his grin at all.

Sherlock chuckled. "Oh yeah. Sorry about that."

John blushed deeply and fixed his eyes on the floor, squeezing Sherlock's hand.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed," Jack laughed. "It's not like Ianto and I haven't painted that wall before. There's just something about it. Not the most comfortable place in the Hub though, but I'll let you two find that out for yourselves."

"Right." Sherlock smiled. "Didn't mean to steal your regular spot or anything, but it's not easy finding anywhere truly discrete in this place, and it was sort of an emergency."  
Ianto appeared behind Jack and took in the situation with a quick glance. "I just cleaned that wall," he complained. "Seriously." He huffed and stalked off.

"Sorry," John mumbled, wanting to disappear badly.

"Only meant that it was necessary to clean it, Ianto, so don't blame the boys," Jack laughed, following Ianto.

"They can bloody well clean it themselves," Ianto snapped as he headed for the kitchen. "Or you could do it. Heaven knows you never have, even when you were the one making the mess."

Jack smiled. "I'll clean up next time," he said solemnly, putting a hand on Ianto's arm and looking in his eyes.

"Sure," Ianto smirked. "Of course you will."

Jack grinned and gave him a soft, quick kiss. "Alright, back to work everyone."

Sherlock led John by the hand back up into the hub. "Have you talked to the girls yet?" he asked Jack.

"Not yet," Jack answered. "They were lying there so peacefully... I think they deserved a little rest. Besides, Ianto's coffee is worth taking some time to enjoy, and then there were those sounds from the archives... We thought that something was attacking you two."

Sherlock laughed "Sure you were." He went over to the screen. "I see tentacles moving," he said.

Jack nodded. "We'd better go have a look before they're going at it again. Ianto, will you join me? It's more likely that they'll want to talk with you around being nice to them."

Ianto nodded. "Of course, Sir."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Cy was slowly unravelling herself from Eliza, her eyes covered by a filmy extra set of lids, turning them a silvery grey.

"Where are you going?" Eliza mumbled lazily.

"Nod goiing." Cy answered. She kept her largest tentacles around Eliza's waist while she began stretching the others in slow ripples. "Juzd waekiing."

Eliza smiled and opened her eyes. "Wow, your eyes are beautiful like this," she gasped as she saw the silvery colour.

Cy smiled and her cheeks turned a darker, almost blue shade. "Liizaa eyez pweeddiiii," she said.

Eliza giggled and reached up to kiss Cy's temple. Then she heard footsteps in the corridor. "Oh, we've got company," she said, a little disappointed.

Cy managed a fair approximation of a pout and pulled Eliza a little closer, slithering around to her back, so she could partly hide behind her.

"Good evening, ladies," Jack said. "Had a good nap?"

Eliza glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Information. You two were supposed to talk about where Cy comes from and if she is alone. I'd think we have given you enough time to discuss something."

Cy clung to Eliza's back, resting her chin on her shoulder. She hissed softly as several of her smaller tentacles moved up into Eliza's hair.  
Ianto smiled and took a step forward. "We're very happy that you two have become friends," he said. "We just want to help you. You know that, right?"

Eliza hummed happily and leaned a little back against Cy. "She's a very good friend," she said. "You can't hurt her."

"We will not hurt her," Ianto promised. "But we need to know more about her. Where she's from, how she got here. Where she's going."  
Cy turned her head and whispered, her lips brushing Eliza's ear.

"She doesn't know how she got here," Eliza said. "She says it just suddenly happened. And that it was a little painful. Her home planet is called Ti- Titania, or something? And she's -" Eliza blushed. "She's staying with me. Cy says she doesn't want to go anywhere else."

Ianto turned to Jack. "Titania? I have never heard of it..."  
Cy purred and muttered "Myy Liizzaa" in Eliza's ear, as some of the tentacles in her hair snaked their way over her temples to stroke her cheeks.

Jack shook his head. "What planetary system is it in?" he asked Eliza, but the girl had closed her eyes and sighed happily as she leaned against Cy. He cleared his throat and Eliza looked a little disturbed, but let Cy whisper an answer in her ear.

"She doesn't know a name. Her planet's big enough not to need to know about what is around it." She frowned and turned so she could look at Cy in puzzlement. "Really? Don't you need to _know_ things?"

Cy giggled and shook her head. "Nod knoew," she whispered. "Feeeel." As if to clarify, all of her tentacles began a frantic exploration of Eliza's upper body and face.  
Ianto took a step back and cursed softly.

"Okay, stop that," Jack said. "Otherwise we'll just put you in separate cells again until we have asked everything we want to know."

"You can't even do that, because I have to translate," Eliza pointed out with a triumphant smirk.

Ianto chuckled softly. "She's got a point," he whispered in Jack's ear.  
Cy hissed again. "Nod gedding myy Liizaa," she whispered. "Uhglii maaanz."

"Sssh, I'm not letting them take me away from you," Eliza said, nuzzling Cy's tentacles.

"Just tell her to behave, alright?" Jack said wearily.

"Can we get out of the cell then?" Eliza asked innocently.

"I'm not sure that is a good idea. They have both killed people," Ianto whispered. "And we know Eliza's after Holmes."

"I think we can handle them. If necessary, we can use one as leverage to stop the other," Jack answered thoughtfully. He turned back to Eliza. "Alright, you can come out, but know that if you take one step in a direction we don't like, you're going back - each in your _own_ cell. Be good and we let you sleep together tonight. Deal?"

Eliza looked at Cy for a moment before she nodded slowly. "At least if you're not lying."

Cy hitched herself a little higher on Eliza's back and wrapped her legs around her waist as they exited the cell.  
Ianto stared at them, exasperated. "Good luck separating them, Sir."

Jack gave him a determined but somewhat sad look. "Believe me, if necessary it's not even hard." He followed the aliens to where Sherlock and John were working.

Sherlock looked up and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the pair. "Hi, Eliza," he said. "Who's your new friend?"

"Hello," Eliza beamed. "This is Cy. Cy, this is Sherlock, who has a pretty brain," she introduced them. She turned her head so she could talk closer to Cy's ear when she said: "He's going to let me have a look when they've found their colleague."

Cy tittered in her ear, promising to help when the time came.  
Sherlock held out his hand and Cy extended a tentacle. He grasped and shook it gently with a bemused smile. "Nice to meet you Cy. I don't suppose you can tell me anything new about teleportation of large objects and specific matter?"

Eliza shook her head. "She says that she doesn't like to go far away, or to move things from the spot where they should be."

Cy nodded and then began looking around the Hub. She nuzzled Eliza's cheek, begging her to take her exploring.

...

John jolted as two tentacles started to poke against his ribs and he turned away from the computer screen. "What...?"

"I'm sorry," Eliza said cheerily. "Cy's just touching things to learn. I think she thinks your jumper looks strange. She does have a point."

Sherlock laughed. "Cy, be nice." He walked over and picked up one of the tentacles, directing a belated "May I?" at both Cy and Eliza. He studied it intently. "This is interesting," he said. "These are as much for sensing as for grasping. I think she actually relies on touch more than any of her other senses." He leaned closer to study her face. "I'm not even sure she has a sense of smell."  
He jumped a little as a tentacle wrapped itself around his neck, then chuckled. "Sure," he said. "It's only fair you study me as I study you."

"She does like to touch the things she's examining," Eliza said with a slight blush, moving her arm so Cy could climb more to her side to be closer to Sherlock. She looked fondly as Cy's tentacles reached Sherlock's head. "Yes, a pretty brain, can you feel it?"

John cleared his throat. "Maybe she should explore when we aren't trying to work."

Sherlock tried to turn to him, but with four tentacles now wrapped around his head, it wasn't easy. "This is working. Sort of. It's interesting, anyway. Come over and see this." He turned to Cy again. "I think she has three sets of eyelids."  
Cy giggled and closed the grey ones.  
Sherlock laughed. "You bad girl," he said. "You don't need an interpreter at all, do you? You just don't want to talk to us."

Eliza ignored him and looked at the silvery eyes with a sigh. "Beautiful."

"It _is_ intriguing," John admitted. "Who'd have thought a few days ago that we'd be talking to two alien lovers?"

Eliza frowned. "Lovers?"

"Isn't that what you two are?" John said with a puzzled look.

"We're... friends," Eliza said, pulling Cy closer to her side. "That's a stronger bond, isn't it? What more is a lover than someone who saves you from boredom?"

John smirked up at Sherlock at that definition. "That's not the way humans look at it," he explained to Eliza.

Sherlock smiled as Cy closed another set of lids, turning her eyes blue. "Can I touch them?" he asked, and when Cy nodded he gently ran a fingertip over her eye.  
Ianto stepped forward. "A friend can be a lover as well. And sometimes even a partner. That is when you share everything. Even the boredom."

Eliza gave him a strange look. "But then they're still friends, so you're actually proving my point. Cy is my friend." She pressed her face under Cy's jaw.

Cy purred and closed all of her eyelids, nearly trapping Sherlock's finger beneath them.  
"Yes," Ianto said. "But friends are not necessarily lovers. And there is also such a thing as lovers who are not friends."

Eliza glared at him without pulling away from Cy's neck. "I can imagine you humans get tired."

Jack chuckled. "Actually she's right. It doesn't matter what you call it."

"Oh, but it does," Eliza said. "According to our Encyclopaedia, there's an 87% chance that it leads to dramatic situations if you call it love."

"Well, good to know," Jack said. "Now give poor Sherlock some space."

Cy pouted but withdrew her tentacles and Sherlock returned to his wall. As he passed John, he winked at him. "Looks like we have a 13% chance of avoiding dramatic situations."  
Ianto snorted and began picking up the empty cups that were scattered on any available surface.

...

A little later, Jack returned from his office with a sigh. "Just had a call. There's a weevil on the loose. Those creatures really don't understand the concept of timing. Sherlock, please tell me you got any further in finding Gwen."

"I've narrowed it down to three species," Sherlock answered. Then he lowered his voice and added: "Including Eliza's."

"The Dadhennku?" Jack frowned. He glanced to the side, where Eliza was obviously not paying attention to them.

Sherlock nodded. "Have you made any progress towards getting her to contact them?"

Jack shook his head. "She says she can't. I'm not sure I believe her though. She's far too intrigued by the idea of lying, I can imagine she wanted to try it herself at some point."

"Captain," Ianto interrupted. "We should probably tend to that weevil."

"Of course," Jack nodded. "Ianto, you're coming with me. John, would you like to join us too? We can always use a strong hand."

"Sure," John said. "But are you certain that it's a good idea to leave them alone with Sherlock?" He nodded at the entangled girls in the corner, who were whispering and giggling.

Ianto shook his head. "I'm not sure we can trust them. I'd better stay to keep an eye on them."

Jack hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then. John, let's go."

Ianto watched them leave, then turned to the girls. "Okay," he said. "What are you two up to?"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"That way!" Jack shouted.

"Fuck," John panted, sprinting in the direction Jack had pointed. The man had made it sound like they caught weevils every day, but it turned out that the creatures were a little too quick to make it a pleasant way to stretch his legs. At least this one was.

"Damn, I'm afraid we've lost him." Jack joined him and smirked. "Not bad, Captain."

"Yeah, fortunately life with Sherlock means a lot of running around. Any idea where it's gone?" John asked.

"We'll have to search for him," Jack shrugged. "With a bit of luck, Ianto will spot him on CCTV. But they're quite good at hiding in the dark."

"Great. And probably we've made him angry."

"Probably," Jack nodded.

...

Ianto flicked desperately through the different images. Then he called up Jack. "Half a mile to the south," he said. "But you gotta hurry, it's headed for a residential area and it's moving fast."

"Okay. John!" Jack called, leading the way south.

They had crossed a few streets before Jack started talking to Ianto again. "Okay, where now? We don't see- unff." Jack fell on his back, the weevil on top of him.

"Jack!" John pulled the creature off Jack, but it immediately attacked him instead, growling and snapping at John's neck. He pushed to keep it at a distance.

"Hold on," Jack said, taking the spray, but the weevil roared and batted it away, making it clatter on the ground.

"Shit, this one's crazy," Jack breathed, kicking its legs to draw its attention to him rather than to John.

The weevil leapt up again, aiming straight for Jack's neck.

"Jack!" John cried out, but the other man fell down on his knees. "God, no, Jack." With all his force, he pulled the weevil away from Jack, catching a glimpse of the blood running from the other man's neck before he was pushed on the ground hard enough to make his head hit the stones. For a moment he saw stars, but then he was unpleasantly brought back to the fight as the weevil pierced his leg with its teeth. Screaming in pain, he managed to kick it hard in the stomach with his other foot. The weevil gave a short growl, looked over at Jack and ran.

Wincing at the pain in his leg, John dragged himself to where Jack was lying. "No, no, no," he whispered with every quick breath. Desperately he felt for a pulse, but there was nothing. "God, no," he said, closing his eyes. Gently, he took the headset from Jack's head and turned it on.

"Ianto," he panted. "The weevil got away. Jack's… God, it attacked him. It was too late to do anything."

"Calm down, John," Ianto answered. "The weevil? What way did it go?"

"It- east, I think- but Jack!"

"Never mind Jack. Can you follow it?"

John frowned in confusion. Was this the same man he had been talking to in the kitchen, who was obviously in love with Jack, but couldn't admit it? Did he perhaps just not accept the fact that the man was dead? "I can't even get up. The weevil bit my leg," he answered, hissing as he tried to move it anyway. "Listen, Ianto, I'm so sorry."

"Oh god, John. Is it bad? I'm sorry I was going on about the weevil." Ianto checked the screen. "Oh... it's moving into the woods. It should be fine for now."

"I'll survive, don't worry about me," John answered. "But it bit Jack's neck, and I can't feel a pulse..."

"Are you bleeding badly? Do you need an ambulance?" Ianto asked.

At those words Sherlock turned from the wall and looked at him with concern. "Is it John?" he asked. "Is he hurt?"

"Listen, _I_'m not the one you should worry about," John said, feeling a little exasperated. "Jack is-"

Jack let out a loud gasp as he woke up and immediately sat upright.

Despite the pain, John scrambled back away from Jack, staring with open mouth at what had surely been a corpse. "What the _hell_?"

"John?" Ianto called. "John... Calm down."

Jack turned his head to look at John. "Sorry if I gave you a fright, John."

"No, this isn't okay," John said, shaking his head frantically. "It's talking now, what is this? Do we get a zombie plague on top of everything else?" He was still crawling back on his elbows.

"John..." Ianto frowned at the phone. "Damn it. He's freaking out."  
Sherlock looked at him. "What's going on? Is he okay?"

"John, listen, I'm not a zombie, I'm just Captain Jack Harkness like you know me," Jack said, gently reaching out to place a calming hand on John's arm, but the other flinched away from him.

"You were _dead_. I'm a doctor, I know when people are dead," John panted, his eyes big and frightened.

"Yes, I was, but the point is that I can't actually _die_. So I woke up again."

"This is madness." John shook his head.

Jack stretched his hand out again, this time with the palm upwards. "You can feel my pulse. Zombies don't have a heartbeat, do they?" Jack smiled a little as John cautiously pressed his fingers to his wrist.

"But... how?"

"Long story. Come on, we should get you to the Hub. That leg doesn't look good, Captain." Jack bent to help John get upright and draped his arm around him to support him. John let it all happen, the shock not completely over.

"The car isn't too far away from here. I think you can make it. Don't rest your weight on that leg," Jack told him, carefully taking the headset back from John.

Ianto touched his earpiece. "Jack?" he called. "Is everything okay? Is John alright?"  
Sherlock stared at him, anxious.

"Yes," Jack answered. "The wound looks ugly, but the weevil brought us closer to the car again. We should arrive at the Hub in ten minutes."

"Good," he said. "I'll get everything ready." Then he turned to the girls. "Eliza," he said. "John's been hurt. Do you think you can help him?"  
Sherlock was fretting. "Hurt? How bad is it?"

"Sure," Eliza nodded cheerily from between a mass of tentacles.

Ianto nodded gratefully. "Hurry home, Jack," he said. Then he turned to Sherlock. "I don't know for sure. It's his leg, and he sounded a little dazed. But as soon as Jack gets him here we'll know for sure."

...

John was leaning heavily against Jack when they entered, and he looked very pale. Still, his eyes met Sherlock's immediately and he offered him a small reassuring smile.

Sherlock rushed to John and swooped him up in his arms. "Screw your dignity," he muttered, covering his face with soft kisses as he carried him to the med bay, where the girls were waiting. He carefully put him down on the examination table and grasped his hand in his. "You stupid idiot," he muttered. "Why did you have to do a thing like that?"

"I love you too," John mumbled, a somewhat dazed smile on his face. He squeezed Sherlock's hand and kept looking at him while Eliza approached, Cy still on her back.

"I gave him something against the pain," Jack informed her.

She nodded. "Good idea, it looks like it would hurt a lot." Eagerly, she bent to have a look at his leg.

"You scared me half to death," Sherlock said, raising John's hand to his lips and kissing it. "I thought I was going to lose you."

John hummed, his eyes going a little unfocused as they followed his hand.

"Let him sleep," Eliza said gently. "Your friend will be fine. Cy and I will take care of him. His leg looks so _interesting_." She turned towards Jack. "Though since humans don't really like colourful infections, it would be a great help if you showed me where I could find him some antibiotics, and the vaccines for everything weevils carry. I do hope you _have_ those?"

Jack nodded and ducked into a cupboard to get her everything she needed.

Sherlock didn't let go of John's hand, but he watched him in silence. John very rarely got hurt, but when he did, it was like Sherlock's heart was torn from his chest. The moment he had realised what Ianto was saying, the floor had dropped from underneath him and his whole world had narrowed down to John. He could not lose him. He just couldn't.  
Without realising it, he chewed on his lip, nervously, as he watched the girls. It really wasn't just Eliza working on John. As far as he could tell the purple tentacles were doing more than half the work. But there was no apparent communication going on. He frowned, then pushed the thought away. It didn't matter right now. Not when John was hurt.

Jack watched them from a distance, standing close to Ianto. "I'm glad he'll be alright. Let's just hope that Eliza's really helping him and not implanting anything as an experiment, because right now it's a good thing we have something like a doctor in here."

Ianto leaned on Jack a little. "We should have told him though," he said. "Before you took him out hunting."

"Shame he was too badly hurt to do much though. I wouldn't have minded him giving me the kiss of life," Jack smirked teasingly.

Ianto pushed him away. "Yes, you would have liked that, wouldn't you?"

Jack chuckled. "Of course you could do it instead, now..."

Ianto sighed. "Sorry Jack, I'm not in the mood. You will have to get your kicks somewhere else." He looked at him. "You should probably get cleaned up first though. You look like you've been through a shredder and you smell like weevil."

Jack looked a little disappointed. "Thanks for the compliments. I'll go have a shower. Keep an eye on the girls. You never know."

Ianto nodded. "Of course," he said and went over to watch them work and placed a comforting hand on Sherlock's shoulder. Sherlock smiled up at him gratefully.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Finished!" Eliza called proudly when they had cleaned and stitched the bite wounds and covered them. That last part had only happened after a lot of touching, prodding and looking, but then the girls had seemed satisfied and it looked like they had done a good job.

Sherlock smiled at them. "Thank you," he said.  
Cy yawned and Ianto chuckled. "How about we set up some beds for you two down in one of the cells?" he asked. "You look like you could use a nap. Or maybe just Cy?"

"No, I'm going with her," Eliza said, gasping a little as Cy's tentacles tightened around her chest. "We only need one bed."

"Oh. Of course." Ianto blushed a little and then went to look for a camp bed.

Eliza followed him. "Cy and I will give you a hand. Well, or a tentacle."

Ianto chuckled as he led them to one of the storerooms. "Are you sure you will be okay with one?" He asked. "We have got plenty."

"One," Eliza said decidedly.

Cy mumbled sleepily and ran a tentacle up Ianto's leg as he bent over to get the bed out from a low shelf. He yelped and straightened up. Then he glared at her sternly.  
"Behave, girl, or I'm putting you in separate cells," he teased.  
Cy whimpered and tightened her grip on Eliza further.

Eliza giggled. "She's just curious."

Ianto nodded. "I know, but she must understand that there is a time and a place for such things." He pulled out the bed and held it out to them. "Can you carry it? It's not that heavy."

"Yes, we'll be fine, thank you," Eliza said, taking it from him. "No, I have no idea what he means," she mumbled at Cy. "It doesn't matter."

Ianto shook his head in bemusement as he followed them to the cell. "I hope you understand why I have to lock the door," he said. "You can always call if you need anything."

"We won't need anything," Eliza smiled, waving him out of the cell.

Ianto smiled too. "Goodnight then, girls. Try to get some sleep." He locked the door and left.

Cy twittered happily as they settled on the bed, moving round to Eliza's chest. "Zilliii manz." She giggled.

Eliza grinned and stroked Cy's back, pulling her even closer. "Are you tired?" she asked.

Cy smiled and shook her head as her smaller tentacles began undressing Eliza, and one of the larger ones pulled the blanket over them.

...

Ianto smiled and turned off the screen. Then he checked on John and took a moment to watch Sherlock, who seemed to have fallen asleep, his head resting on John's chest. He turned off the light in the med bay and then went to the kitchen to start the dishwasher.

"Any chance of a late cup of coffee?" Jack asked, entering the kitchen with only a towel draped around his waist.

"I already cleaned the machine," Ianto answered, without looking up. "But I think there's some instant decaf in the top cupboard."

"Nah, that doesn't compare," Jack shrugged, leaning against the cupboard.

"Then I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Ianto shrugged and started the dishwasher. "I'm done for tonight," he said, finally looking at Jack. "Can you handle everything here on your own?"

Jack scanned Ianto's face and leaned a little closer. "Don't you want to stay?"

Ianto shrugged. "I'm very tired," he said. "It's been a long day."

"You could sleep here," Jack suggested.

Ianto offered him a tired smile. "Want your bed warmed tonight, Sir?"

"Only if you're offering," Jack grinned.

Ianto frowned. "I don't think so..."

Jack's face fell. "Of course you don't have to, you can just sleep here. You don't have to go out at this hour."

Ianto shrugged. "I suppose the sofa is pretty comfortable."

"Did I do something wrong?" Jack frowned.

Ianto sighed. "No, Jack. It's just, all the things that have happened today... and the talk we had with Eliza about friendship and lovers... I guess it just reminded me of how it was. To be in a relationship. I guess I'm brooding a little."

Jack looked at him. "I'm... I'm not keeping you from finding someone. If that's what you want. We can stop our regular... meetings if you feel like it's restraining you from anything you want."

Ianto chuckled softly. "It's not like I've got my sights on anyone. I guess I just miss the closeness. Sometimes."

Jack didn't answer and just kept looking at him with an unreadable expression.

Ianto smiled and reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. "Anyway, it doesn't concern you. Sorry for unloading like this. I guess I'm just tired."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," Jack said earnestly, looking into his eyes.

Ianto held his gaze for a moment then looked down. "I know," he muttered. "It's nobody's fault. It's just the way it is."

Jack nodded slowly and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're still welcome to sleep with me. Your choice," he said, before walking off to bed.

Ianto watched him leave, smiling sadly. Then he sighed and went over to the sofa, settling in for what would probably be a sleepless night.

...

John's eyelids flickered and he grunted. "Sherlock..." he mumbled sleepily.

Sherlock was instantly awake and sat up. "John," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Feel a bit like something very heavy fell on top of me," John shrugged.

"Well, you did get mauled by an alien," Sherlock said. "Never thought that would happen to you, did you?"

John smiled. "Honestly? No."

"Will you promise me one thing?" Sherlock asked earnestly.

"Probably, but I'd prefer it if you told me before I said yes. I know you..." John gave him a fond look.

"Right," Sherlock smiled. "Please don't let anything like that happen to you again. Ever."

"So you finally understand how I feel when you're doing something stupid again," John said with a weak smile.

Sherlock frowned. "Like your world is falling apart? So scared you can hardly breathe?"

"That, exactly. Come here." John beckoned him closer. "Why aren't we in a proper bed?"

Sherlock leaned in and kissed him. "You were doped on painkillers. And Eliza said it would be best for your leg if we didn't move you right away." He kissed him again. "Do you want to go back to the hotel?"

"Unless there's a comfortable way to sleep here with you," John said, reaching up for another kiss and stroking Sherlock's neck.

Sherlock smiled. "I think the only proper bed here is Jack's and I suspect it's already occupied. I'll get us a cab and then I'll help you outside, okay?"

John nodded. "Thank you, love."

Sherlock kissed him again and then went up to find his coat. As he got his phone out of the pocket, he noticed Ianto watching him from the sofa. "John's awake," he explained as he dialled. "We're going to the hotel." Then the phone was answered and he asked for a cab for Roald Dahl Plass. When he had finished the call, he turned to Ianto. "Can you help me get him outside?"  
Ianto smiled. "Quite easily, actually. Can you get him up here?"  
Sherlock frowned but didn't ask. He returned to the med bay. "Are you ready?" he asked John.

John nodded and wrapped an arm around Sherlock's waist, wincing as he moved his leg.

"I can carry you," Sherlock offered.

"No." John frowned a little. "I already have a vague memory of you doing that earlier, and there's really no need."

"You're hurt. There's really no shame in getting the help you need. Remember what you have had to do for me when I've been injured?"

"It's alright," John said, resting his weight on his good foot.

Sherlock nodded and helped him slowly up to where Ianto was waiting.  
Ianto gestured for them to step up onto a sort of raised dais and then, smiling, pushed a button.

John almost lost his balance when the floor started moving and he took a firmer grip on Sherlock. "God, really everything is possible here, isn't it?" he sighed, resting his head against Sherlock's shoulder.

"It would seem so," Sherlock agreed, smiling as he looked up and saw the ceiling open above them.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Sherlock helped John to the bed and then went to put the 'Do not disturb' sign on the door. "Do you need a hand with anything?" he asked as he returned.

"I could use some help to get my trousers off," John admitted.

"Of course, love," Sherlock said, and began carefully working the ruined trousers off him.

John hissed a little when the fabric put just that bit more pressure on the bandages, and it was a relief when the trousers were finally off his leg. He started on unbuttoning his shirt and lay down after taking it off.

Sherlock got undressed and then settled next to John, drawing the covers over them both. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," John shrugged. "Just a bit dizzy, but the pain's bearable." He snuggled closer to Sherlock.

Sherlock wrapped an arm around him. "I love you so much," he whispered before kissing him.

John was happy to answer the kiss, cupping Sherlock's jaw with one hand. "I love you too," he said a little breathlessly when they pulled back.

Sherlock rested his forehead against John's. "I can't lose you. Ever."

"As far as I can help it, you won't. I promise," John said softly.

"Thank you." Sherlock kissed him gently.

John smiled at him. "How's the case?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Two or three suspects. Though the suspects are of course not individuals but rather entire species. I also have some ideas about a motive, but it's still very vague."

"Tell me?" John nuzzled Sherlock's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"Well," he said a little hesitantly. "The Dadhennku seem to have teleportation devices capable of what we have seen. And Ms Cooper disappeared less than a day after Eliza was captured. It could be a form or retaliation. At first I considered that they were hoping for an exchange of hostages. But in that case, shouldn't they have made their demands by now?"

"Hmm. But Eliza seems to be quite happy where she is, so why do they need retaliation?" John mumbled against his skin.

Sherlock nodded. "So I must be missing something. Or I'm way off. Dealing with alien species makes my job a lot harder. I cannot rely on my knowledge of or experience with psychology and causality. Just look at Cy. Pure tactile cognisance. Who knows how she perceives the world."

"Yeah, it's interesting how different she is. Do you really think it's only tactile though? Surely she learns from her sight and hearing as well?" John wondered.

"I suppose so. But to her, those senses might be like smell or taste to us. They help us understand and navigate the world. But the conscious knowledge, that which we feel is 'us', is almost exclusively tied up with sight and sound. And even with those senses, a lot comes down to verbal communication." He smiled. "Let me give you an example: I look at you and realise that in front of me is the man I love. I move my mouth and you hear the words "I love you". If I were Cy, I would touch you," he closed his eyes and laid a hand on John's cheek, "and I would know that this is the man I love. And I would touch you differently," he leaned in and kissed him, "and you would feel my love. Now we can, and indeed do, choose to confirm our love in these ways, but can you imagine us never looking at each other or saying how we feel?"

John smiled and kissed him again. "Neither can I imagine never touching you again. But I understand what you mean."

"Oh no," Sherlock chuckled. "We should definitely employ all our senses when it comes to loving each other. Sense of taste is, for example, very important." He grinned and moved down to kiss John's stomach just below the belly button.

John chuckled. "Come back here, you idiot, we should get some sleep."

"You go ahead," Sherlock mumbled against his skin, as he worked his way down. "I'm going to taste the man I love."

"Oh, god," John sighed.

Sherlock paused long enough to pull John's pants down and then kissed the head of his cock gently.

John gasped and planted the heel of his left foot in the mattress, trying to keep his other leg still. "I love you."

Sherlock didn't answer, but instead licked his way all the down to the root and then back up again. He took the head in his mouth and sucked gently.

John moaned, his hands clenching in the sheets.

Slowly, Sherlock took as much in his mouth as he could, sucked hard and then began bobbing his head, swirling his tongue every time he pulled back.

John groaned obscenely. "Fuck, Sherlock..."

Sherlock hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard, changing the angle so he could watch John.

"Sher-" John gasped warningly, wincing as he tensed his leg to push himself up in reflex.

Sherlock placed a hand on John's leg, holding him down as he continued sucking him through his orgasm. After he had swallowed, he looked up. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"God, no, you're amazing," John panted, lying boneless as he looked up at Sherlock. "Come here."

Sherlock moved up and kissed John.

John carefully rolled them over, deepening the kiss as he tasted himself, while his hand wandered down to stroke Sherlock's cock.

Sherlock moaned and pushed gently into John's touch. "You should sleep," he muttered. "I can take care of it myself."

"No, I want to touch you," John breathed, continuing his slow, firm strokes.

Sherlock pulled back so he could look at John for a moment. Then he leaned in to kiss him again, rolling his hips to follow the rhythm of John's hand.

"That's it, yes," John mumbled against his lips, flicking his thumb over the head.

Sherlock closed his eyes and held on to John's shoulders, moaning softly as he began moving faster.

John pressed small kisses on his mouth, quickening the pace of his hand. "Come for me, love. I'm here, I'm all yours."

"I love you so much, John. I ..." The rest of the words were lost in a loud groan as he came.

"I know, I know. I love you too," John whispered, pressing soft kisses on Sherlock's face and gently stroking him through it. Then he wiped his hand and pulled Sherlock close against his chest.

Sherlock wrapped an arm around John. Suddenly he was overcome with how close he had come to losing him. He gasped and pressed his face into John's shoulder.

"Sssh. I'm still here," John muttered, kissing Sherlock's hair and stroking his back.

"I know," Sherlock mumbled and then sniffed.

John slowly threaded his fingers through Sherlock's hair, rubbing relaxing circles on his scalp. "I love you."

"... You too." Sherlock kept his face down, feeling a little foolish, but unable to fight the feelings flooding through him.

John lowered his hand to rub his fingertips over the back of Sherlock's neck and tightened his other arm around him. "You know how possessive I am," he smiled softly. "I'll always come back to claim you."

Sherlock chuckled. Then he sobbed once and suddenly he was laughing, tears streaming down his cheeks. "There's just no escaping you, is there?"

John smiled and pulled him further up for a kiss. "There isn't," he said when he pulled back, looking fondly into Sherlock's eyes.

Sherlock returned his smile. "Good."

John shifted a little so he was lying more comfortably. "Sleep well, beautiful idiot," he smirked.

Sherlock sighed and rested his head against John's chest, where he could feel his heartbeat.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"You didn't come to bed," Jack said softly and only a little accusingly. He was kneeling in front of the sofa, looking at Ianto's relaxed face.

"Huh?" Ianto sleepily blinked a couple of times and then sat up. "No... I... Were you waiting?" he asked, looking rather sheepish.

"No, but I woke up alone." Jack made a little pout at him.

"I'm sorry." Ianto yawned and stretched. "I needed room. To think. And I helped Sherlock get John out, so they could get back to the hotel."

Jack nodded and sat back on his heels. "How was John?"

"He was on his feet. Sort of." Ianto smiled. "Sherlock was taking care of him. I think they'll be fine, but I do hope John gets some rest today."

"Hmm. I won't take him weevil-hunting again." Jack gave Ianto a small smile and then sighed. "I really wish we had found Gwen by now."

Ianto put a hand on his shoulder as he nodded. "Me too." Then he stood up slowly. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." Jack stood up as well and followed him, without entering his personal space. "The girls seem to have kept quiet tonight."

Ianto chuckled. "I checked in on them around midnight. They seemed... content."

Jack smiled. "Still, they can't stay here forever."

"I know." Ianto turned away and walked to the kitchen. "While you and John were out, I did some research. Cy does not originate from any place known to us. We can't contact anyone about her, because as far as I can tell, her species is unknown to us as well as to anyone we are in contact with."

"And she hardly knows where she's from. We can't trust Eliza to keep an eye on her for the rest of her life. Can we?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. She will have to go home soon. Will she be willing to take Cy with her? Will she be allowed? How can we know?"

Jack sighed. "We can't know. I'm sure Eliza will want to take Cy with her, the way things are now, but like any relationship, that could change. What if she ever loses Eliza and starts murdering Eliza's species?"

"That's your only concern?" Ianto snapped. "That Cy might become dangerous again?" He stopped himself, blushing. After a moment he cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should be prepared for any eventuality."

Jack gave him a long, thoughtful look. "Then what should be my main concern? Our job is to protect people."

"Never mind," Ianto muttered, as he started up the coffee maker.

Frowning, Jack took his arm and leaned in close. "I think it would help us both, if you did speak your mind now and then."

Ianto sighed and turned to him. "I just... wish that we could find a solution that would allow for them to stay together. They seem to have a very strong bond. Separating them would be... cruel." He bit his lip. "Anyway, it's not my place to... object. Sir." He returned to making coffee.

"Believe me, Ianto, I wish just as much that we could keep them together," Jack sighed. "It's just not that simple. They're from different planets and both of them have killed humans."

"I know, but... I don't think it was with any kind of malicious intent. I think they killed out of ignorance. Now that they've made human friends... seen how we support and tolerate them... I don't think they would do it again."

Jack shrugged. "I don't dare to predict what they will or won't do. But we'll see."

Ianto nodded. "Can we just... take it into consideration? Their feelings, I mean. When we try to figure out what to do with them."  
"Whatever you do, you better get Eliza to contact her family first," Sherlock said as he walked through the door. "Ms Cooper's life may very well depend on it."

Jack turned around. "Do they have her?"

Sherlock nodded as he took off his scarf and coat. "I have been considering the facts, and it is the only logical explanation. They have the technology, and assuming someone wants Eliza returned, they have a motive. The only thing that does not add up yet, is why they have not contacted us yet to arrange an exchange. Perhaps something about their culture or psychology that we are not yet aware of."

Jack nodded. "I'll get Eliza out of her cell so you can talk to her." He strode off immediately.

Sherlock turned to Ianto and studied him for a moment. "Rough night?" he asked.  
Ianto shrugged. "Things are tough at the moment. We're understaffed. And worried about Gwen."  
Sherlock nodded. "Yes, of course. Things are not easy for you right now."  
Ianto frowned and looked at him for a moment before turning to focus on pouring coffee.

...

Jack entered the corridor to the cells, after opening the door with a loud bang. "Wake up!"

"Wuh?" Eliza answered, pulling a face and blinking while she hugged Cy more tightly.

Cy hissed at Jack and pulled the blanket over their heads, a single tentacle left out, doing something that just might be a fair approximation of a certain human hand gesture.

Eliza giggled and pressed her lips against Cy's neck.

"You've got five minutes. We need to talk to you," Jack said, unlocking the door.

Cy giggled too and pulled Eliza closer, her tentacles rippling around them.

"Girls, I'm not joking. Five minutes or we'll come get you out of that cell."

Eliza groaned. "Why?"

"Sherlock has found out where Gwen is. We need your help right away," Jack answered.

"You always need my help. Silly humans," she mumbled against Cy.

Cy purred as she sought out Eliza's lips, still very intrigued by the novel concept of kissing. A couple of her tentacles appeared and waved dismissively at Jack.

Jack sighed and decided to leave them for a minute. "I've warned you, don't stay too long!"

Eliza eagerly returned the kiss, stroking Cy's waist.

...

Sherlock had cleared the wall of all but a few notes and a single printed page about the Dadhennku. He turned to look at Jack as he emerged. "Are they coming?" he asked.

"Yes, but the question is in which sense," Jack said, giving him a look. "You know how they are."

Sherlock looked puzzled for a moment, then he blushed. "Oh..." he chuckled weakly. "Again?"  
Ianto smiled and shook his head as he put down two cups of coffee for them.

"They'd better make it quick," Jack said impatiently, giving Ianto a quick, grateful nod as he took his cup and sipped it.

Ianto smiled at him and then turned to Sherlock. "So it's definitely the Dadhennku?" he asked.  
Sherlock nodded. "Everything else has been ruled out."

"Do you think Eliza herself has anything to do with it?" Jack asked.

Sherlock shook his head. "I think she is genuinely completely preoccupied with her newfound friend." He paused and then added, chuckling: "And her quest for my brain. Maybe I should give her an x-ray as a parting gift."

"So someone got insulted by us taking her to Torchwood, or wants to get her back?" Jack asked.

"It would seem so." Sherlock turned to look at the wall again. "Her family most likely. Were you aware that she is technically a minor?"

"Well, she can be quite childish, but on the other hand..." Jack said hesitantly, tilting his head in the direction of the cells.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at him. "Oh, she's mature. But she's still under her family's protection. At least I'm pretty sure she is. A young Dadhennku must complete high level independent research or make a significant new discovery in order to be declared an adult and gain independence. It would seem that some never achieve this. I believe that Eliza was aiming for this with her 'studies' here on earth. And her fascination with my brain might also be partially motivated by it. If she could indeed get her hands on it and prove that it was in some way different from 'ordinary' human brains, it might very well be considered a sufficient rite of passage and she would be free to run her own life."

"You're here for three days and you've already figured out more about an alien race than we probably would in months," Jack said with admiration clear in his voice.

Sherlock straightened up a little and smiled at him.

"Okay, I'm getting them out of that cell. We don't have time for this, I want Gwen back here right now," Jack said, looking frustrated.

Ianto sighed. "I'll get them," he said and headed for the cells.

Jack nodded and drummed his fingers against the wall. Then his phone started ringing and he picked it up with an annoyed expression. "Oh, damn. Ianto!" he called out. "That weevil's attacked someone!"

Ianto stopped and turned around. "We cannot let it run loose. Can we?"

"No, we have to go," Jack answered. "Sherlock -"

Sherlock nodded. "Yes. Go. I'll keep an eye on things here." He headed for one of the computers.

"Thank you. We'll be back as soon as we can," Jack said, taking his coat.

Sherlock nodded again and focused on the screen as he began looking up some of the oldest Torchwood records.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Eliza sighed happily against the luxurious purple of Cy's skin. "Maybe we _should_ get up," she mumbled. "Jack's probably quite cross that we've been so long."

Cy pouted as she untangled herself. "Zdupiiid Jaaack. Meeeaan."

Eliza kissed her pout away. "He's worried about his colleague. I'm sure he can be a lot nicer than he acts now."

"Only Liiizaaa nize. And pweddiii." Cy replied as she slithered round to Eliza's back, clinging to her. "Ohkaeiii. We go..."

Eliza giggled. "Maybe I should get dressed first."

Once they were decent, Eliza slowly pushed the door of their cell open, as Jack had left it unlocked so they could follow him upstairs. "It's quiet," she remarked.

Cy purred. "No manz?" She wrapped her legs a little tighter around Eliza's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder.

Eliza stroked the side of her head. "It would seem so. Could be fun to explore on our own... Have you ever felt a Pteranodon?" she asked cheerily.

Cy shook her head and giggled happily. "Daeezdiii?"

"I'm not sure if its eyes are very tasty. It's rather old," Eliza said. "We could go see if there's something you like in the kitchen of course."

Cy shrugged. Then she tensed. With one tentacle she gently turned Eliza's head towards one of the computer terminals.

"Oh, so we _aren't_alone," Eliza said softly, her eyes twinkling as she looked around to see if the other men really weren't there. "We could have some daeezdii after all."

"Braiiin?" Cy squirmed eagerly on Eliza's back. Then she let herself slip silently to the floor and inched her way towards the detective who was deeply absorbed in his research.

Eliza nodded at her and pointed at the med bay, silently stepping a little closer.

Cy slipped up behind Sherlock and began moving her tentacles into position silently.  
Sherlock sensed a movement out of the corner of his eye and started to turn, but right then Cy pounced, wrapping herself around him, pinning his arms to his sides.

Eliza ran towards them and took a hold of Sherlock's legs, dragging him off his chair.

Cy chuckled as she held on and prevented Sherlock's head from hitting the floor. "No huurdd braiiin," she said, smiling at him. Sherlock's eyes widened as he stared up at her.  
"You...?" he began, but was cut off as two tentacles wrapped around the lower half of his head.

"We'll finally have a look," Eliza told him happily. "Jack told us you had found Gwen, so you don't need that pretty brain anymore." She looked behind her to see where the stairs started.

Sherlock tried shaking his head, but Cy held on tight as she followed Eliza, trying to lift as much of Sherlock's weight as she could while protecting his head.

"There we go, nice and steady," Eliza said in a sing-song voice as she took a tighter grip on Sherlock's legs when he tried kicking.

Cy steadied Sherlock as he slid down the stairs. She kept leaning close to study his eyes. "Daeezdii?" she inquired.

"You can't eat them right away, Cy," Eliza said gently. "I want to see all of his brain first, the oculomotor nerves as well. Afterwards we can taste everything we like." They put him down, but Eliza kept holding Sherlock's feet in place. "We should find something to restrain him."

Cy giggled again and shifted so she could hold Sherlock's chest and arms down with half her tentacles, wrapping the rest around his hips and legs. "Ohkaei?" she asked.

"Perfect," Eliza grinned. "You're the best friend I could ever have wished for." She turned to take a scalpel, then moved towards Sherlock's head.

Cy cocked her head and watched Eliza, a wide grin on her face. "Liizaa clehver..." she mused. "And pweddiii."

Eliza blushed and focused on Sherlock's forehead, brushing some curls back. "This is going to be _beautiful_."

...

"What the hell, Sherlock? Pick up your phone," John mumbled. Staying in the hotel room had seemed a good idea that morning, when he was still sleepy and his leg was hurting, but now he was rapidly getting bored in the small space. It didn't make sense that Sherlock didn't pick up. He had promised to let John know if anything happened with the case, and in the state he had been in the night before, John couldn't imagine that he would forget him. With a sigh, he decided to just go to the Torchwood Hub. He could rest there as well.

Sherlock stared up at Eliza, trying to speak, but the tentacles clamped down on his mouth. A single minor one freed itself from Sherlock's arm and settled around Eliza's waist.

Eliza smiled at Cy, her fingers exploring Sherlock's temples.

Sherlock closed his eyes and groaned with anger and rising panic.

John winced with every step, trying to find the right spot where the invisible lift had brought him and Sherlock last night. He felt worried, even though he didn't know why.

"John?" Ianto called, jumping out of the jeep the moment Jack stopped it. "What are you doing here? You should be resting."

"Sherlock didn't answer his phone," John answered. "Ianto, don't tell me that if you two are up here, Sherlock is alone with two killers obsessed with his brain?"

Ianto smiled. "They're locked in their cell." He turned as Jack approached. "Aren't they?"

"Oh, fuck. I left the door open so they could come out and talk to us. Ianto, quick," Jack nodded at him, keeping his hold on the now relatively tame weevil.

John gave him a look. "Unbelievable."

Ianto got his gun out as he activated the lift. As they descended, he frantically looked around. Then he heard a clatter. "Med bay," he concluded and jumped off the lift while it was still several feet above the floor and set off running.

Eliza had just put the scalpel down on Sherlock's skin, ready to push it in, when the noise disturbed her and she looked up. "Oh, really. Do you always have to spoil the fun?" she pouted at Ianto. "And you were so nice at the start."

Ianto aimed his gun at Eliza's head. "Put the knife down and step away from him." He said. Then a tentacle lashed out of nowhere and hit his wrist. The shot hit the wall and the gun flew out of his hand.

"Thank you, Cy. It can get dangerous to let boys play with their toys." Eliza gave Ianto a stern look. "I'd really expected better of you. Sherlock _promised_ me I could do this."

"But Eliza, don't you see? Taking his brain means killing him. You can't just..." He took a step towards Eliza, but was stopped by several tentacles, securing his arms and legs. One of them began tightening around his neck. "Eliza, please..." he stammered.

"Sherlock!" John gasped when he heard the shot. "For god's sake, Jack, do something!"

"I have to secure the weevil, John. We can't have another alien loose in the Hub." Jack turned and dragged the weevil to the cells as fast as he could.

Sherlock took advantage of the girls' distraction and the diminished hold Cy had on him. He managed to free an arm and grasped Eliza's wrist, forcing the scalpel away from his skin.

"Oy! Keep still!" Eliza called out, struggling to get her wrist free. "If having a look at that brain means that I have to kill him, then so be it! It's a shame I couldn't do it earlier because I need to see it alive, otherwise he wouldn't be so annoying." She relaxed her arm for a moment, then hit Sherlock full in the face with his own hand.

Sherlock groaned and bit into the tentacle covering his mouth, making Cy scream shrilly.  
The tentacle around Ianto's throat tightened further and he clutched at it with his hands, desperate for air.

"Don't hurt her!" Eliza called out in shock. "Do that again and not only you, but also your little boyfriend will die a painful death." She bared her teeth and placed the scalpel back on his face.

"Sherlock!" John helplessly limped in and tried to pull the tentacle away from Ianto's throat.

Sherlock got hold of Eliza's hand again and tried to force it away. Ianto was growing faint but managed to kick out. He hit Cy in the stomach and instantly most of her tentacles retracted, forming a protective ball around her.  
Sherlock rolled away from Eliza, and Ianto gasped as he yelled hoarsly: "Jack... Bring restraints... Hurry..."

Jack ran in and pointed his gun at Eliza, keeping his distance from Cy. "One wrong move and she dies," he told the purple alien. "Move back. Hurry." He threw large handcuffs at Ianto.

"Cy!" Eliza cried.

Sherlock scrambled to John's side and together they retreated.  
Cy peered out from the web of tentacles and her eyes and mouth went round in panic. Ianto reached in and got a hold of her upper arm, or rather the place where all the tentacles on her left side connected with her body. He clasped one of the cuffs around it and then wound the chain around the railings before securing her other arm. Then he too backed away, picking up his gun as he passed it.  
Cy slumped down, whimpering, reaching out to Eliza.

"Please, let her go," Eliza said, biting her lip to hold back tears. Jack's gun was still pointed at her head, so there was nowhere she could go. "It was my plan, not hers, she was just helping me. Please, don't hurt Cy."

Ianto turned to Jack, a pained look in his eyes. "We have to separate them, don't we?" he asked, his voice still rough and strained.

"They have proven how dangerous they are. We can't allow this to go on," Jack said.

Ianto sighed and nodded as he put a hand to the bruises darkening on his throat. "I know. It's just..." he shrugged and walked to Eliza taking her by the wrist. "Come on," he muttered and began leading her to the cells.

"No, I don't think so," a shrill, snappy voice said. "You let go of our daughter right now."

With a small shift of air, a man and a woman had suddenly appeared in the main part of the Hub. The woman, who had spoken, was tall and thin, with dark hair and a haughty look on her face. The man had the same dirty-blond hair as Eliza, but he was short and stout. Both had violet eyes and they had metal objects in their hands that could be some sort of firearms. A moment later, Gwen appeared behind them, immediately falling to the floor as her legs couldn't carry her. She seemed to be unconscious.

"You have brought us enough shame, Torchwood." It was as if the woman's voice slithered over every dissonant on the scale.

Eliza sighed and closed her eyes.

Ianto held on to Eliza's wrist. He glanced at Jack, questioningly.  
Sherlock grabbed John's arm a little tighter. "Did you see that?" he whispered excitedly. "They appeared first and then Ms Cooper came afterwards. That technology is definitely more sophisticated than the toys Torchwood has."  
"I only hope they don't plan on blowing the place up or anything," John muttered under his breath, squeezing Sherlock's hand.

"We didn't mean to insult you," Jack told the woman calmly. "We were only making sure our own species wasn't harmed."

"This is the second time you keep our daughter from gathering new knowledge," the woman screeched. "It is the greatest shame. You will exchange her now for your colleague, or Ms Cooper will die."

"Mama, they did try to keep me from doing my research, but there is so much I have learned here!" Eliza said desperately. "Let me stay a little longer. I will finish my study, I promise. I will even add a treatise on Pterosaurs."

Her father gave her a stern look. "Why would you want to stay here?" he said in a deep voice. "You will be assigned a new project at home. Hopefully you won't fail this time. You can't live like a child forever."

Eliza turned her eyes down. "Please. I was so close. I could study his brain right now."

"You are coming home, Eliza," the woman creaked.  
"Liizaa?" Cy called, straining against the handcuffs. Her voice took on a desperate note. "Liizaa?"

"I can't go!" Eliza said. "Not without Cy."

"Cy?" the woman asked.

"She's my friend!"

The man looked back at Cy. "Strange to meet a Titaniar on earth. But you're not getting a pet, Eliza. It's bad enough as it is that you didn't get your work done."

"She isn't a pet! She's my friend, she's intelligent and - and beautiful." Eliza sighed, a sob escaping her.

Her mother gasped. "_Eliza_."

"They _have_ gotten very close," Jack said carefully. "Cy could be a threat, but perhaps Eliza could..."

"There is no way that we take a Titaniar back home," Eliza's father interrupted him.

Ianto stepped forward. "Can you help us get her back to her home planet then? Do you know where it is?"  
Cy began keening, still struggling to get free.

"How dare you insult us again! Pointing out flaws in our knowledge!" the woman screamed. "It is none of our business that you can't get rid of an ugly, smelling Titaniar!"

Eliza was crying now and ran towards the med bay where Cy was restrained, but her father stopped her and tightened his arms around her waist. She struggled to get loose, but it didn't help. "Please. If I had had five minutes more I would have made my discovery and you would have declared me an adult. Five minutes and I could have made the choices about my own life. Let me take her home." Tears were streaming over her cheeks.

"You have not reached majority now," her father answered coolly. "You don't have any right to make choices, and certainly not about bringing that creature into our house."

"Please. Cy!" Eliza cried.

"Nooooo..." Cy screamed. "My Liizaa. My Liizaa." Her tentacles frantically waved around her as she threw herself forward over and over in a desperate attempt to get to Eliza.

Ianto turned away, closing his eyes.

"Do something," Eliza begged Jack, but he shook his head, sadly.

"I can't change the rules of your planet, Eliza."

"Then let me stay. Please." Eliza was shuddering and sobbed loudly.

"Enough of this nonsense. You're coming home," her father said firmly. "You were to _study_ humans, not become one with their ridiculous emotions and distracting dramas."

Cy's screams turned painfully shrill as she threw herself against the railing. Her tentacles rippled and her body was shaking. Ianto covered his ears.

Eliza's mother grabbed her arm and the girl knew she was out of time.

"I will find you, Cy. I will come back for you and take you home, I promise!" Her words sounded choked although she tried to talk loud enough for Cy to hear her. She cringed at hearing her friend cry out. "Goodbye, my Cy," she sobbed.

Then her father activated a device on his belt, and the three Dadhennku vanished.

...

Cy thrashed against the walls so hard she was bruising herself. A small trickle of blood ran from a cut on her temple down her cheek. The cuffs were digging into her arms, also drawing blood. "Liizaa," she screamed over and over again.  
Ianto turned to Jack. "Can't we do something for her?" he begged.

Jack sighed and pulled him close against his chest with his left arm, his hand moving to stroke Ianto's hair so he would bend his head against his shoulder.

"Jack-" John said, seeing the movement of his right arm, but it was too late and the shot sounded through the Hub.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The shot hit Cy right between the eyes and the screaming stopped immediately. Her body tensed and then slowly slumped down. But her tentacles kept moving. The largest were the first to come to rest, while two of the smallest ones continued to wave feebly in the direction where Eliza and her parents had disappeared. They were still wriggling weakly as Ianto reached her. He knelt down and placed a hand on her chest. Then he looked up at Jack, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Why?" he screamed. "You heartless bastard."  
Sherlock sighed and laid an arm round John's shoulders. John was just staring in shock, hardly noticing Sherlock's embrace.

"It was the best thing to do," Jack said quietly.

"The hell it was," Ianto spat at him before turning to gently release Cy from the handcuffs. When she was free, he eased her to the floor and closed her eyes. "Why did she have to die? You heard Eliza. She was coming back for her."  
Sherlock gave John a quick squeeze before letting go and stepping forward. "No, she wasn't," he said. "At least not in the foreseeable future. It could be decades before she gets another shot at adulthood. Maybe even centuries, judging from her parents' attitude. And Cy would not have lived that long. In fact, she was probably already dying."

"But she could as well have come back soon. And if she returns now, she won't find Cy, or she will find her dead. How is it safer for the planet if Eliza has a damn good reason for wanting revenge?" John asked.

Jack shook his head. "Sherlock is right. You saw what pain Cy was in. This was a better option than letting her suffer and taking her rage out on us. I'm sorry."

Sherlock walked over and looked down at Cy. "She was a parasite," he said. "And I suspect she bonded for life. She would literally have wasted away within a matter of days. Not physically. But she drew her emotions from Eliza. Once the agony of the separation had dulled, she'd have been an empty shell."  
Ianto didn't hear him properly. He was completely focused on Cy, gently stroking her cheek. "You poor poor thing," he muttered.

Jack ignored them and went to Gwen. He checked her pulse for a moment, then picked her up and brought her to the sofa.

"A parasite?" John asked. "Loving Eliza didn't make her a _parasite_, Sherlock."

"Her love for Eliza was a projection, maybe even a magnification of the love Eliza had for her. Without being loved, Cy could not love. That does not make it any less real," Sherlock explained. "I don't think Cy's species, the Titaniars, were built for a love so strong. I think something broke inside Cy when she latched onto Eliza. Like an addict to a drug so powerful there is no withdrawal. Only death."  
Ianto cradled Cy's head in his lap. "Are you saying that loving Eliza ruined her?" he muttered bitterly.

"Basically, that's what it means. Is it so surprising that love can do that?" Jack mumbled, stroking Gwen's cheek before he got up again.

Ianto shrugged. "I suppose not. In fact, in a way, it makes perfect sense." He glanced once at Jack, then looked down again.

John looked from one to the other. "Still, if Eliza finds a way to come back soon..."

"Are you going to tell her how it happened? Well, I'm not," Jack said. "Not knowing this, she will have no reason to declare war to earth. It was the kindest I could do, and anyway, it's done now."

"Cy was too dangerous," Sherlock said. "And too damaged. That's the truth and all Eliza will need to know. Surely she would not have wanted Cy to suffer."  
Ianto got to his feet, attempting to carry Cy. But the lifeless tentacles made it an almost impossible job.

Jack turned to him. "I'll help you store the body away."

"Don't you touch her," Ianto snapped. "Don't you fucking touch her."

Jack looked at him, opening his mouth to say something, but then he turned around and walked out of the Hub.

Ianto barely noticed him leaving as he tried to gather the tentacles. But they kept slipping away.

John looked up at Sherlock. "Please go and help him. I wish I could walk properly so I could do it." He directed his gaze sadly at Ianto. If this took any longer and became a cause of frustration to him, he had the feeling that Ianto would fall apart.

Sherlock nodded, understanding John's concern. He went to Ianto and together they managed to move Cy onto the examination table.  
"We should dissect her. But that would have been Eliza's job. Or..." Ianto bit his lip. "Excuse me," he muttered and then left, rushing up the stairs to Jack's office.  
Sherlock frowned and then found a sheet to cover Cy with.  
Then he went back to John and laid an arm around him. "Quite a mess, isn't it?"

"I'm still not sure he should have shot her," John said quietly. "If only for Ianto."

Sherlock shrugged. "He'll get over it. Cy wouldn't have."

John turned his eyes down and sighed. "I'm afraid that the fact that it will pass doesn't lessen his pain now. He's having a hard time."

Sherlock nodded. "His emotional investment in the girls' plight is clearly affected by his likening it to his own situation. Understandable if not sensible."

John sighed and carefully got up. "I should go check on Gwen. Who knows how they've treated her in the days she was gone."

Sherlock nodded. "Yes. Good idea. I think I'll go examine Cy. It's hardly every day I get a chance like this."

John gave him a look, but said nothing and limped towards the sofa.

Sherlock went to the med bay, located the proper tools and set to work.

John kneeled by the sofa with a wince. "She's been heavily sedated, but they didn't harm her," he mumbled to himself when he had examined Gwen.

Ianto had come back down the stairs and walked towards them. "Finally some good news," he said softly as he kneeled beside John. "Is there anything we can do for her?"

"No. She'll be fine, maybe just a bad headache when she wakes up. Are you okay?" John asked.

Ianto nodded. "I should be used to it by now. It's not the first time we've had to put down a dangerous alien. I guess I'm still just a bit raw after... the others."

John gave him a questioning look.

Ianto sighed. "We recently lost two of our... colleagues. It really got to Jack. That is why he was so anxious about Gwen. Even more than before, I mean..."

John nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Ianto shrugged. "It comes with the job."

Gwen's eyelids flickered and she tensed her hand.

"She's waking up," John said reassuringly.

Ianto let out a shaky breath and stroked her hair gently. "Gwen?" he said. "You're back, girl. You're safe."

Gwen opened her eyes and immediately pressed her hand against her forehead. "Bloody hell, what happened?"

"Congratulations, Gwen," Ianto teased, his eyes only slightly misty. "You've survived your first Torchwood abduction."

She groaned. "Abduction? Last I know, I was in my car."

Ianto snorted. "That's actually what most abductees say."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't trying to win a bleedin' prize for originality here, was I? _Who_ abducted me? Where's Jack?" Gwen asked.

Ianto's smile faltered. "That can wait. The important thing now is to get you home to Rhys. He's been beside himself with worry."

"Oh god. How long have I been gone?" Gwen asked.

"Three days," John answered.

Ianto helped her to her feet. "I'll take you home. We still haven't found the car."

"Thank you, Ianto," Gwen said, leaning heavily on his arm. "God, I'm dizzy."

John shifted so he was out of the way.

As Ianto led her towards the underground garage, he looked back at John. "Can you two handle it here?" he asked.

"Yes, Sherlock and I will be fine," John nodded.

"Sherlock?" Gwen mumbled. "You'll have to tell me everything in the car, Ianto."

"I will," Ianto promised.

Once Ianto and Gwen had left, John used the sofa to push himself up on his feet. He looked down at where Sherlock was working. "Gwen's alright," he said.

Sherlock put down the scalpel. "Gwen?" Then he caught up. "Oh... Yes, of course. Good."

John wrinkled his nose at the cut-open body. "You're enjoying yourself, I see."

Sherlock frowned. "I'm learning..."

"Hmm. Any idea where Jack can have gone?"

Sherlock thought for a moment. "If his earpiece is active we can track him."

"Maybe we should," John said.

Sherlock nodded, took off his nitrile gloves and went to one of the computers. After a couple of minutes he had located him. "He's not far," he said, bringing up the map.

John nodded, standing close to him. "We should find him and see if he's alright."

Sherlock nodded and then glanced at John's leg. "You better stay here. I'll find him."

"What am I supposed to do here?" John sighed.

"Keep an eye on things," Sherlock winked as he put on his coat. "Maybe there'll be an alarm or something."

"Yes, great. Then I can limp about and frown at it." John sighed and found himself a chair.

"Or you could call me." Sherlock chuckled as he left.

"Try to be nice to Jack. Tell him Gwen is fine," John called after him.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Jack turned around from where he was staring over the water, when he heard footsteps approach.

Sherlock nodded in greeting. "Rough morning?"

"Hmm." Jack sighed and turned away. "It's not like I _liked_ shooting her. So if Ianto sent you to scold me some more, please leave it."

Sherlock shook his head. "You did the right thing. It would have been far more cruel to let her suffer such a devastating and ultimately fatal loss any longer than absolutely necessary. And even if she could have survived being, in a sense, amputated from her chosen host, she was too dangerous. She would have had to remain locked up. It was far kinder to end it quickly."

"Thank you," Jack said quietly, laying his hands on the handrail before him.

Sherlock moved to stand beside him. "I think young Mr Jones' distress runs a little deeper than sympathy with an alien parasite."

Jack sighed and leaned forward on his arms. "I know."

Sherlock smiled. "John believes that it helps to talk about such things. He has often insisted that I try and at times it did indeed clarify things and help us move forward."

"The thing is that you and John are a couple. Ianto and I both know why things are the way they are. There isn't much to talk about."

"Obviously there is something," Sherlock said. "Or he would not have overreacted like this. Maybe you need to redefine the terms."

"Sherlock, I know you're trying to help, but..." Jack shook his head.

Sherlock smiled. "... but giving relationship advice is really not my area, and you'd rather handle things your own way." He stepped away from the railing. "Want to come back to the Hub? I left John in charge and I don't think he was too happy about it."

Jack nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm not in a position to run away." He gave Sherlock a small smile.

Sherlock returned Jack's smile and took his arm. "Shall we?" he asked and then winked and added: "Captain?"

Jack's face folded into a wide grin. "Yes, Sir."

"If you like, I could help you start a file on the Titaniar before we return to London," Sherlock offered, as they walked back to the Hub. "Everything I learned from Cy will surely be helpful if another one falls through the rift."

"Thanks, that would be nice. Although I sincerely hope that doesn't happen again," Jack answered.

"Still, being prepared might make things... easier."

"Yes, of course. Are you sure John won't mind staying at Torchwood a little longer?" Jack asked.

Sherlock shrugged. "It shouldn't take that long. And he needs to give his leg some time to heal before travelling."

"True. Not that you would mind carrying him around if needed, hmm?" Jack winked.

Sherlock chuckled. "He tends to get a little miffed when I pick him up. Might be a height issue."

"Ah well. I'm sure his being short has its advantages too," Jack said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Sherlock snorted. "You really are wicked," he said. "And don't go getting any ideas. I suspect he is quite immune to your charms."

"And how about you?" Jack asked, quirking his eyebrow.

Sherlock grinned. "I would like to say that if I had met you before I knew John, I would definitely have been interested, but that would be a lie. Before him, I had absolutely no interest in such things. I thought caring would be a disadvantage. That it would make me weak and vulnerable. Sex was something messy that got people to do stupid things. But then he happened. He saw right through me and brought out a potential I had never even suspected. I fell head over heels in love with him and it wasn't long before I gave myself completely to him and found how mistaken I had been. It has not made me weak but strong. Not vulnerable but richer... deeper. But I was right about sex making people do stupid things. Like me flirting with you because I know jealousy turns John positively dangerous in bed. He knows that's why I do it and that I would never be truly unfaithful, but he still feels a need to reclaim me. And I love it. Belonging to him. So yes, I'm quite immune to your charms. If it hadn't been for John, I would never have noticed and now... Now I have John and he is everything I want and need."

Jack gave him an amused grin, but there was a little sadness in his eyes as well. "I'm glad you found that with him. I don't know if many people ever manage to form a bond that strong. Neither can I imagine not being interested in sex at all." He chuckled.

Sherlock laughed. "Yes, I'm sure that is not something you can relate to easily."

"Still, I know it's different when you let it mean something," Jack smiled.

Sherlock smiled. "I couldn't really say."

...

John looked up when he heard them enter the Hub. "No alarms to frown at!" he called.

Sherlock laughed. "Good. Now if you don't mind, I'll go finish up with Cy and then start on the report."

Jack's face fell a little at the mention of Cy's name and he sat down next to John, who gave him an examining look.

Jack nodded at him. "Your boyfriend is better at comforting people than he realizes."

"I know. But for most people, his honesty is too confrontational. I'm glad you see his true meaning through it," John smiled.

"He thinks very highly of you."

"And I of him."

Jack stared at his computer screen for a while, even though there was no file opened to read on it.

"Did he tell you that Gwen is alright?" John asked after a while.

"No, but I thought she was, after checking on her. Thank you."

"She didn't remember anything about the abduction. Ianto is bringing her home." John hesitated for a moment. "He told me about your recent losses. I'm sorry."

Jack sighed. "It's a dangerous job. Knowing that doesn't keep it from hurting when you lose someone."

"I think you and Ianto could be a great support to each other if you allowed yourselves to be," John said carefully.

"I know what you're saying, John... Sherlock started on the same thing. But I can't die. Not ever. In the end, I lose every friend I ever had. Every relationship I start will eventually end. Do you have any idea how much it hurts when I have admitted to myself that I love them? However loyal both parties are, I know that I will be the one who is left behind. And perhaps I got used to it in a way, after all this time, but when the moment is there, I can't ignore the pain. If I allowed myself, it would paralyse me. And with Ianto... It would be bearable if I knew it would last for another fifty years. But Torchwood is his life. I can't glass-cover him to keep him safe. He won't live forever and I will lose him."

John bit his lip and looked away. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't meddle in this."

"No, it's not your fault. It's just the way it is. Whatever it is Ianto and I actually want, we can't have it." Jack sighed.

"And you talked about that to Ianto."

"He knows."

A silence fell and Jack stood up, looked down at Sherlock for a moment and then walked to his office.

Ianto walked in just in time to see the door close behind Jack.  
"So he's back," he said. He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but changed his mind.

"Give him a moment," John said quietly.

"As many as he wants," Ianto said, and went into the kitchen.

John sighed.

...

Sherlock was quite impressed with the equipment available and did a thorough examination of Cy's anatomy. When he was satisfied he had learned all he could, he covered her up, cleaned himself up and went up to start typing up his findings. When he saw John, however, he went over and put his hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked.

John leaned back and covered Sherlock's hands with his own. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you still think Jack was wrong? Shooting Cy?"

"I honestly don't know," John sighed. "I can't imagine what it's like to live forever and see everything pass."

Sherlock nodded. "The prospect of losing something can be so daunting, that it seems better to deny it in the first place. But by that logic, none of us should ever love or care."

"Isn't that what you believed for a while?" John asked softly, looking up at him over his shoulder.

Sherlock chuckled and leaned down to kiss John. "I was an idiot."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Ianto hesitated. He looked down at the cups of coffee he was holding. They had been intended for their guests, but when he heard them speak, something had held him back. He did not want to interrupt the moment between them, but that was not all.  
The things they said made sense. But not only in the way they thought. He smiled to himself and brought the cups up to Jack's office instead. "Sir?" he called softly. "May I come in?"

"Yes, Ianto," Jack said, a little surprised. He looked up at him when the door opened.

Ianto went to the desk and put the cups down. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said. "I know it was not an easy thing to do." He bent down and kissed him. "You are a stronger and better man than I."

Jack's eyes widened and he looked almost shocked, before he pulled Ianto down again and kissed him heartily. "Please don't underestimate yourself."

Ianto chuckled. "Oh, I don't. But no one can compare to the one and only Captain Jack Harkness." He sat down in Jack's lap, wrapped his arms behind his neck and kissed him again.

Jack chuckled and let himself be carried away in the kiss, folding his arms around Ianto's back.

After several minutes, Ianto pulled back, rather breathless. "I think our guests can handle themselves for a while," he said as he glanced towards the entrance to Jack's quarters, then back towards Jack, a slightly mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Jack smirked. "So you're not angry anymore."

Ianto's smile faltered for a moment. "I was never angry, Jack. Not with you, anyway." He sighed. "I was just... overwhelmed. By the whole situation. And now I just want to put it behind us. Can we?"

Jack nodded and pulled him in again. "I'm sorry," he whispered, right before he closed the distance between their lips.

Ianto returned the kiss eagerly. Then he stood up and took Jack's hand. "Nothing to be sorry about," he said and pulled Jack to his feet.

Jack immediately attacked his neck, kissing and licking, resting his hands on Ianto's hips.

Ianto gasped and laughed. "Jack... bed... please."

"Then take me to bed," Jack whispered in his ear.

"Yes, Sir," Ianto said and led him to the ladder. He climbed down first and then waited for Jack to follow.

Once he had joined Ianto, Jack kissed him again, his hands fumbling with the button of the other man's trousers.

Without taking his lips of Jack's, Ianto managed to get them to the bed, while he was unbuttoning Jack's shirt. Jack pushed Ianto's trousers down and greedily reached into his pants. Ianto chuckled breathlessly as he got Jack's trousers open and pushed them down along with his pants. Then he pulled his own down with one hand while he began stroking Jack with the other.

Jack groaned and tugged at the buttons of Ianto's shirt with one hand, before giving up and sliding his hand under the fabric, while the other was working Ianto's cock.

Ianto moaned. "Oh god Jack. I need you... right now," he muttered. He pulled away and quickly undressed completely, then he crawled onto the bed, not taking his eyes off Jack.

Jack lay down on top of him, kissing him hungrily and brushing their cocks together.

Ianto dug his fingers into Jack's shoulders and pushed up against him, rolling his hips.

"Ah, Ianto," Jack gasped, thrusting down against him.

Ianto gasped and then pushed Jack off him and onto his back. He straddled his hips and then leaned down to kiss him again.

Jack moaned and grabbed his arse. "Oh god, I want..." He didn't finish his sentence and just continued kissing Ianto, because all he could say was that he wanted everything from Ianto.

"I know, Jack," Ianto muttered into the kiss. "I know." He shifted his hips a little and then sank down on Jack. A soft moan escaped him as he took him in slowly.

"Ah, fuck," Jack panted, his eyes rolling back in pleasure. He splayed a hand over Ianto's chest, letting him take his time to adjust.

After a moment Ianto began moving, rolling his hips slowly. He smiled down at Jack and stroked his cheek gently. "You're so fucking handsome," he muttered. "And so completely irresistible."

"Could say the same of you," Jack gasped, taking his hips and thrusting up in a slow rhythm.

Ianto smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

Jack groaned and flipped them over, giving longer, deeper thrusts while he was moaning into Ianto's mouth. Ianto wrapped his legs around Jack and raised his hips to take him even deeper.

"You feel so good," Jack breathed, reaching between them to stroke Ianto's cock, his movements becoming faster.

"You too," Ianto gasped, once more digging his fingers into Jack's back.

Jack pressed his mouth against a sensitive spot on Ianto's neck and sucked, leaving a small bruise.

"Holy fuck," Ianto groaned as he came, spilling over Jack's hand.

Jack kissed him hard as Ianto clenched around his cock, and a moment later he gasped and followed.

Ianto clung to him, gasping for breath. "That was... good." He giggled.

Jack had sagged on top of him and rested his head against Ianto's shoulder. "Absolutely."

Ianto smiled and kissed Jack's forehead.

Still catching his breath, Jack smirked up at him and trailed his fingertips over Ianto's upper arm.

Ianto sighed happily. "Do you think the Rift will allow us time for a little nap together?" he asked.

Jack chuckled. "I'm sure Sherlock and John will wake us up if it doesn't." He rolled off Ianto to lie more comfortably against him, with one leg between Ianto's and an arm around his waist.

Ianto wrapped an arm around Jack, closed his eyes and drifted off almost immediately.

Jack smiled as Ianto's breathing grew relaxed. He didn't plan to, but soon he too was asleep.

...

A few hours after Ianto had gone up to Jack's office, Sherlock looked up from the screen. "That should be it," he said, and smiled at John, who was resting on the sofa. Sherlock got to his feet, stretched and then went over to join his partner.

John lazily opened his eyes. "Can we go home then?"

Sherlock nodded. "As soon as someone shows up to take over here. I don't think we should leave this place unattended." He pulled John close and kissed him softly. Then he chuckled. "The boys have been gone for quite a while. Do you think they managed do work things out between them?"

John grinned. "I sincerely hope so. Either that or they've killed each other up there."

Sherlock laughed. "I must admit, I'm not sure which would have been noisier." Then he studied John for a moment. "How is your leg doing?"

John shrugged. "A lot better than was to be expected, actually. She might have used it for other purposes, but I'm not ashamed to admit that Eliza's medical knowledge exceeded mine."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "Can I see?" he asked.

John nodded. "Careful."

Sherlock rolled up John's trouser leg carefully and then raised his eyebrows. "Impressive," he said. "I don't know how she did it, but this looks almost completely healed."

"Well. I had still been more grateful if she hadn't tried to scalp my boyfriend."

Sherlock laughed. "Yes. That wasn't very nice of her, was it?"

"No." John pouted and threaded his fingers through Sherlock's curls. "Imagine that she had shaved off your hair before we had come in."

Sherlock chuckled. "So that's what you were worried about? My good looks? And here I thought it was my life and health."

John giggled and kissed him. "You know you're my beautiful plaything."

Sherlock smiled and returned the kiss. "Know it and love it," he purred.

Jack cleared his throat behind them. "Having fun?" he smirked.

Sherlock looked up at him, smiling. "Yes," he said. "Did you?"

"Oh yes," Jack chuckled, glancing back at Ianto.

Ianto blushed slightly. "Anyone want coffee?" he asked. "Or tea? Or perhaps you're hungry? We kind of skipped right past lunch with all this commotion."

John looked at Sherlock. "Maybe it's a good idea to eat something here before we're heading home."

Sherlock nodded, then he turned to Jack. "Can we go out? All of us? You can get any alerts on your phone, right?"

"Sure," Jack nodded. "It's a good idea to end a collaboration as enjoyable as this in style."

...

As they left the cafe, Sherlock put his arm around John's shoulder. "It's been quite an adventure, hasn't it?" he said.

John grinned. "Just what you wanted. Torchwood, a door to greater mysteries."

"I'm really glad you came to help us," Jack said, walking next to Ianto without touching him.

"Any time you are baffled by another mystery, feel free to call us in," Sherlock said.  
Ianto chuckled. "Be careful. Jack can be awfully lazy. He might just call for you because he can't be bothered to do the work himself."

"Hey!" Jack poked him in the ribs. "You don't speak of your Captain like that!"

John laughed.

Ianto giggled and then took Jack's hand in his. "I'm sorry, Sir," he said teasingly. "I guess I'll have to make it up to you some time."  
As they reached Roald Dahl Plass, Sherlock stopped. "We better get a cab back to the hotel," he said. "There's a train in 85 minutes, that we should be able to catch if we pack quickly."

Jack nodded. "Sorry to let you go. Are you sure you don't want to keep working for Torchwood?"

Sherlock shook his head. "Not as a regular thing, no. I have found that I do in fact prefer working with cases in which I can use at least part of the knowledge I already have stowed away up here." He tapped his temple. "Too much work starting with a clean sheet every time."

"Besides, neither of us can stay away from London for too long," John smiled.

"Too bad. Well. In that case, goodbye." Jack stepped forward, cupped Sherlock's face in his hands and pressed his lips on his. When he pulled back, he winked at him and said, "You're welcome."

Sherlock blushed furiously and glanced at John. Then he smiled and took John's hand, leading him to the cab that had just pulled up.

Jack saluted John with another wink and then placed his arm around Ianto's waist.

In the cab, John sat close to Sherlock and leaned in so his mouth brushed Sherlock's ear. "Maybe we should take a later train. There's something I need to do first."

(_We hope you have enjoyed this story and will take the time to also read the commentary (chapter 28) where we will talk a bit about how this story came to be. And reveal an alternate ending._

_We will begin publishing the next part of the trilogy soon. It is called 'When their paths crossed again'.)_


	28. Chapter 28

When their paths crossed - Commentary

_TLoP:_

Just like we did for the first story we wrote together, _What have we become?_ (from now on referred to as 'WHWB'), Jlocked and I would like to give you a look 'behind the scenes' of _When their paths crossed_.

_Jlocked:_  
I don't know if any of you readers will get anything out of this, but writing it is just so much fun, so please indulge us.  
I suppose a good start would be to talk about how we got the idea for this story. When we decided we would write a second story together, the first issue was which fandom to write for. We were hesitant to do another _Sherlock_-thing because we did not want to 're-invent' John and Sherlock after having just gotten to know the WHWB versions so well. _Harry Potter_, _Avengers_ and _Doctor Who_ were discussed I believe.

_TLoP: _

That's right. I think that the original plan was that this would become a _Torchwood_/_Doctor Who_ fic, but soon we decided to bring in the Baker Street Boys as well. We just couldn't leave them behind after having had so much fun with them. That meant that we needed a case for them that would be right up Torchwood's alley.

For some reason I was very eager to make it a decapitation case. But then the question was why the victim was beheaded, and by what sort of alien?

_Jlocked:  
_I think the decapitation thing actually started with WHWB. We considered it as the case that brought John and Sherlock back together (oh, by the way, if you haven't read WHWB: SPOILERS!), but then decided on Harris instead, because we wanted to wrap that case up. So, it seemed logical to use the idea for the start of the new story. I let TLoP do the most of the thinking there. She really is good with the gory stuff.

_TLoP:_

Oh, you're right, I had forgotten my decapitation dreams already started in WHWB :P

Anyway, trying to explain the decapitation case was more or less what created Eliza's species. The first we knew about them was that they were humanoid, had purple eyes and that they were all true Ravenclaws.

_Jlocked:  
_Yes, the purple eyes were very important. And of course the search for knowledge. And that scientistish disregard for their subjects. Eliza wasn't 'murdering' her fellow student. She was just experimenting on her.  
Another thing that had to be settled quite early was the nature of John and Sherlock's relationship. In WHWB there was quite a lot of focus on whether or not loving John was distracting Sherlock from his work. We figured that when they had been together for some time, they would work out how to use this distraction in a beneficial way to divert Sherlock when he was becoming frustrated or bored.  
I don't see this as him 'using' John, more as John helping him. And it's not as if John wasn't getting anything out of it. And then there was also that other aspect to their relationship which became more obvious once Jack was thrown into the mix.

_TLoP:_

Oh, believe me, John didn't complain as he was 'helping' Sherlock there...

But of course he is a tiny bit possessive. And it's obvious enough that Sherlock loves that as well.

_Jlocked:  
_'A tiny bit'? Is that what we're calling it?  
But yes, Sherlock was quite fond of John wanting to reclaim him every once in a while, and it was not beneath him to try and encourage this mood in John. He really is a bad boy, that Sherlock. Having Jack around would of course be an almost endless source of such opportunities. And Sherlock and Jack were just having too much fun to realise that not everyone was benefiting from their little games.

_TLoP:_

What else would we expect of Sherlock than being a bad boy - we all know who is writing him :P

Poor little Ianto. He's such a great source of angst, which is very important to some people.

_Jlocked:  
_I am choosing not to comment on that remark...  
But yes, Ianto was a gift for an angst-addict like me. He was actually, I think, the main reason we settled on doing a Torchlock fic. As you may know if you've read WHWB, I based the character 'Ian' on Ianto. His unrequited crush on Sherlock had been so much fun to write and I really liked the character, so I thought it would be interesting to give 'the real thing' a try. So I asked TLoP if she thought she could write Jack and it all sort of built from there.  
Now one would think that handling two main characters each would leave us with our hands full, but no... We just had to add 'the girls' to the mix.

_TLoP:_

Or rather, the girls worked themselves into our story and all we could do was watch them and let it happen. After all, Eliza couldn't just disappear after being caught. There wasn't much choice but to keep her in the story. And then she needed something to do, so there were the eyeless bodies. Eyeless bodies meant tentacles... And, slowly, Cy was created, and I have to admit that I almost immediately shipped her with Eliza, even if Cy hadn't got a name yet and it wasn't certain we would really 'use' her character in our story. In the end, she was so strong that the story became almost completely about Elicy. We never meant that to happen, since we had actually wanted to bring in the Doctor and River Song.

But let's have a word on Eliza first. We had an alien and her species, but no names. I decided that the aliens listened to musicals to get their first impression of "intelligent" life on earth, because that gives them their language, music and stories all in one. So her name would be Eliza Valjean, because they liked _My fair lady_ and _Les misérables_, and every time someone asked Eliza whether she had French ancestors, she was all confused where that impression could come from.

The name of the species... Wait, let me have some fun first. Jlocked, what's the name of her species again?

_Jlocked:  
_That is so not fair... But I actually think I finally remember. Dadheenku, right? Or something like that. I do realise I could just open one of the documents and check, but that would feel like cheating. I don't know how many times I just wrote something like "[the whatevers]" or "[insert name here later]" while writing the story. I hope we caught them all in editing.

_TLoP:_

*giggles* Dadhennku!

But I'm proud that you didn't cheat.

_Jlocked:  
_That was damn close. Better than 'the Da... Duh... Whatevers...'  
Why don't we just move on to you explaining how you came up with it?

_TLoP:_

Oh, right. Since neither of us really had an idea for a name, I had started doing keyboard smashes, to see if I came up with anything that sounded like an alien name. Unfortunately it didn't really work to get anything that was possible to pronounce :P So they would be the aliens that couldn't pronounce their own name. Or in Dutch: "De Aliens Die Hun Eigen Naam Niet Kunnen Uitspreken". And suddenly there was a name, putting the first letters together: Dadhennku.

_Jlocked:  
_A name that was absolutely impossible to remember. Unless of course you worked from the original sentence. Then it was very easy to recreate, as TLoP so often reminded me. Only one minor flaw in that brilliant suggestion: I don't speak Dutch!

_TLoP:_

*giggles* Poor thing.

Anyway, Eliza always reminded me a little of Luna Lovegood. I also had some fun with a friend, imagining what a house had to look like according to the aliens. A little spaceship-cosiness combined with what makes a house human and very normal: a tower.

_Jlocked:  
_Eliza was a genuinely interesting character and we grew very fond of her almost from her first word. I think initially we didn't intent for her to be part of the story after Jack and Ianto picked her up, but very soon we knew that we would want more interaction between her and the boys. And then of course there was that thing with Sherlock's brain.

_TLoP:_

It's prettyyyy.

Still a shame we didn't have her literally dancing around Sherlock with her hands waving above his head.

_Jlocked:  
_It would have been hard for her to get away with. And I really liked the focus of her fascination. The true reason for her really really really wanting to get her hands on his brain was, of course, only defined at the very end, but let's save that for later.

_TLoP:_

Good idea.

The actual problem was that Gwen would be abducted. As long as they had no clue where she was - and that was important, because we wanted to bring Sherlock in - Eliza could stay at the Hub. But we needed some things to happen in between, to keep it interesting.

_Jlocked:_  
Torchwood is never just working at one thing at the time. So apart from travelling across the country to pick up decapitating, alien med-students and losing their staff, Torchwood also had another murderous alien to deal with. The mysterious eye-stealing tentacle-monster.  
And having recently lost their doctor, they got the idea to enlist Eliza for the job.

_TLoP:_

Time to tell more about "tentacle thingie"?

_Jlocked:  
_Yes, the 'we're not making this one cute and fluffy'-alien. Cy.  
Looking back, my idea for her was probably influenced by the 'squid-baby' in _Men in Black_, but I didn't think about it at the time.  
All I had to work with were 'tentacles' and 'purple'. I wanted to make it small, because I thought it would be more interesting to have something roughly hobbit-sized running around killing people, than some giant mauling monster. And we had agreed that it had to be female. But I only had a sketchy image in my mind when it suddenly became time to describe the thing Jack was carrying into the Hub. So Cy was more or less 'born' as I wrote the description of her. And she very quickly evolved into my favourite character ever. I mean, how can you not love her?

_TLoP:_

She is perfect. Soon we were both saying that we wanted a Cy of our own - before we realised that that was a bad idea, as our eyes weren't purple and probably very daeezdii. And she's incredibly interesting, thanks to all the brilliant ideas Jlocked had about her species.

_Jlocked:  
_Brilliant ideas? I was literally making it up as I wrote it. Wait a minute... Is this one of the things I shouldn't be telling the readers?  
Anyway: there were a lot of gifs, pics and comments around at the time about Benedict being very tactile (then again, when are there not a lot of those around?). I've studied the different forms of intelligence/cognisance (audio, visual, tactile and kinetic) and I thought it would be interesting to have someone who learned almost solely through touching. Then of course I got to the notion that Cy's species cared very little for things they could not touch. And then it followed that if they became emotionally attached to someone, they would need to stay physically attached to them as well. So, Cy latched on to Eliza and that was it.

_TLoP:_

Cuddles! Fluff! How happy I was.

Before the Queen of Angst came up with the idea of killing Cy of course.

But before that, they could have some fun together. Jlocked wanted to make a _Galaxy Quest_ reference as the boys were watching them ("That's just not right"). I didn't even know yet that it was a reference at that time :P

It was also nice that Cy would have her own reasons to be almost as interested in Sherlock's brain as Eliza was. They made a great team.

_Jlocked:  
_They did indeed. And writing the physical aspect of it was so much fun. I got too use all kinds of verbs like rippling and snaking that I rarely find use for when writing about boring humans. And of course having Cy's tentacles go exploring was totally irresistible.  
But my very favourite part, I think, was writing Sherlock's explanation about 'sensing love'.

_TLoP:_

I'm still waiting for you to publish your treatise on sensing love :P

But I really like that bit too. Even if it makes Sherlock a bit of a silly romantic :P

I also liked putting in Eliza's view on love and 'friends'.

_Jlocked:  
_Sherlock was allowed to be a silly romantic at the time. John had been hurt and he'd been afraid of losing him. That kind of shock is not so easily shaken off.  
Eliza's views were interesting too, though they seemed to cause Ianto some distress.

_TLoP: _

Which gave us the chance to focus more on Jack and Ianto's relationship, which actually is quite interesting. It wasn't easy to get a good view on how Jack would react to Ianto's feelings here.

_Jlocked:  
_I think it worked pretty well. We were juggling three very different relationships that contrasted and affected each other. It was the real driving force behind the story. Gwen being kidnapped wasn't even secondary. It was pretty far down the list.

_TLoP:_

Ah well. She wasn't really in danger anyway. Unless the Dadhennku would have started to experiment on her :P

_Jlocked:  
_They almost should have. Her abduction was so textbook as the last thing she remembered was being in her car and her having no memory of the time that had passed.

_TLoP:_

Ssh. That was just convenient. We had more interesting things to focus on.

_Jlocked:  
_Like killing Cy. And making everyone feel miserable. Yay.

_TLoP:_

*huffs*

Eliza's parents were lightly based on _Corpse Bride_ parents. They seemed to fit the situation. But there was no way they would let Eliza take her 'pet'...

And that was why Eliza needed to become an adult very quickly. A _clever_ human brain would make quite the discovery. But there simply wasn't enough time and she'll never forgive herself for being too slow.

_Jlocked:  
_Let's hope she never finds out that Cy is not waiting patiently for her in Cardiff.  
We had agreed that they should be separated and I was thinking on how Cy would react, and then I just had this mental image of a crying Ianto begging Jack to help her and Jack's solution being to shoot her to put her out of her misery. The image was very strong and I managed to 'sell' it to TLoP. Especially the detail about Jack hugging Ianto with one arm and keeping his head down so he won't see it coming was good I think.

_TLoP:_

Yes, that made the mental image so much stronger, and like we kept telling ourselves, it was all for the story.

Even if it felt as if our heart was being ripped out and shredded. Poor Eliza. I still believe that one day she will come back for Cy and who knows what happens then.

_Jlocked:  
_I loved and hated writing that part. Both the separation of the girls, Cy's death and Ianto's breakdown as he cradles Cy's body.  
But it made for a great story. I hope.

_TLoP: _

So do I.

Is there anything else we want to clear up?

_Jlocked:  
_Can't think of anything at the moment. Except of course, that we could not resist bringing the boys back together again. So there is a sequel called _When their paths crossed again_. This time the Torchwood boys come to London, but I don't think we should tell any more about it.

_TLoP:_

Just go read it, and don't forget to review ;)

Then there's only the alternative ending Jlocked wrote for chapter 24...

_Eliza had just put the scalpel down on Sherlock's skin, ready to push it in, when the noise disturbed her and she looked up. "Oh, really. Do you always have to spoil the fun?" she pouted at Ianto. "And you were so nice at the start."_

_Ianto aimed his gun at Eliza's head. "Put the knife down and step away from him." He said. Then a tentacle lashed out of nowhere and hit his wrist. The shot hit the wall and the gun flew out of his hand._

_"Thank you, Cy. It can get dangerous to let boys play with their toys." Eliza gave Ianto a stern look. "I'd really expected better of you. Sherlock __promised__ me I could do this."_

_Ianto shrugged. "She's right Sherlock. You did promise." He turned around and went up to make a cup of tea. __John was going to need it._


End file.
